As Christmas draws nearer, it is my sincere hope and prayer each of you will enjoy a blessed Christmas. Even amidst the financial turmoil and problems, besetting our nation and the world, take time this Christmas to enjoy the family and friends who surround you. Remember to keep in your prayers the soldiers who are still on foreign soil, fighting to defend our freedoms and our way of life.
Recently, the Speaker of the House has announced the assignments for Committee Chairmen. I have been named Chairman of the House Rules Committee. This committee chairmanship carries a very great weight of responsibility. Bills assigned to Rules are primarily those dealing with elections, the Ethics Commission and any bill which will create a referendum or constitutional amendment, requiring a vote of the people. A more technical definition may be found as: The responsibilities of the Rules Committee Chairman include all of the duties of other committee chairman plus power granted the committee by three additional rules of the House. The Rules Committee Chairman has the following additional specific responsibilities: Rule 8.6(f) beginning two weeks prior to the third reading deadline for any bill that is not related to the budget the Rules Committee must give prior authorization to any floor motion to strike the title or enacting clause, otherwise the motion not in order.Rule 8.8(a) authorizes the Rules Committee to impose a Special Rule on a bill. These rules could include the length of debate, amendments to be considered, etc.Rule 14.1(a) authorizes the Rules Committee to recommend to the full House amendments to House Rules. Speaker’s Policy on Using the Rules Committee to Strike TitleIf a member (other than the A&B Chair or the Chair of Rev and Tax) wishes to strike the title of a bill on the floor, that member must submit in writing to the Floor Leader’s office a request to strike title. The request must contain the bill number and the reason for striking the title. A separate request is required for each bill.The floor leader will forward these requests to the Rules Committee, where it will be in order at anytime for the chair to hear a request.As a conclusion to the request hearing it will be a proper motion to accept or deny the request. Last Friday was the deadline for filing bill requests. This is not filing language for bills to be heard this session. It is the part of the legislative process which tells the House staff which bills a legislator is interested in filing. Language is then added to the request, to be filed as a bill, by January 15, 2009.Twenty bill requests have been filed by me, covering a range of issues, such as; Wind Power, Education, Insurance and Sex Offenders. Of these 20 requests, I will be allowed to file 8 as legislation for the 2009-2010 Legislative Session. Any bill requests over the 8 I am allowed may be given to a newly elected legislator, with me as co-author. As the bill filing deadline draws nearer, I will expand upon the substance of the bills I plan to carry. I am at the Capitol during part of the week for meetings and interim studies. You can reach me there at 405-557-7384 or contact me at my home in Goodwell or by email at : gusblackwell@okhouse.gov
