House OKs opening conference committees

Posted 3/02/2009 12:52:00 PM

A bill that would open conference committees and other legislative meetings to the public unanimously passed the House today.

On a vote of 66-0, House Bill 393, sponsored by Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, now moves to the Senate for consideration.

But there’s a good chance it will run into trouble there. The open conference committee proposal usually passes the House and is killed in the Senate.

This year, the Senate version of the bill -- Senate Bill 150, sponsored by Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque -- has been left off the agenda of the Senate Rules Committee even as other ethics reform proposals have been discussed. In addition to being approved by the Rules Committee, the bill must also pass the Senate Public Affairs Committee -- which Feldman chairs -- before reaching the Senate floor.

The proposal to open conference committees was killed by one vote in the Senate in 2007. Changes in the Senate’s makeup that resulted from last year’s election have many believing the bill will pass this year, if it can get to a Senate floor vote.

Many believe Feldman’s bill is stalled in the Rules Committee because opponents -- including many Senate leaders -- don’t want to give the bill a chance at a floor vote.

Conference committees are groups of usually of three House members and three Senate members who are tasked with reconciling differences between versions bills that have passed both chambers. In addition to opening their meetings to the public, the bill would open many other currently closed legislative meetings, including executive sessions of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.

Exempted would be investigative or quasi-judicial meetings -- such as impeachment proceedings -- and political party caucus meetings.

Cervantes, speaking before today’s House vote, said the House has made strong strides this year to involve the public in its policymaking process, perhaps referring to the implementation of webcasting. He said his bill is also “an important piece in the process.”