How the Carroll County delegation voted May 14

CONCORD — Last Thursday’s session dealt primarily with bills that came from the Senate to the House for final passage prior to moving on to the Governor for her consideration. Those that did not move on were either tabled or voted Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), which means, “kill the bill.” Sometimes, the day is called “Silly Say,” as most bills are loaded with amendments that have nothing to do with the main bill. One representative had the same amendment on three different Senate bills, hoping it would pass by hook or by crook.

One of the difficulties with amendments is that they may arrive at your seat on the morning of the House Session. This gives you limited time to research and prepare. The second issue is that amendments may read, “Replace All.” This means that the primary bill, which could be on any topic, is dropped and this entirely new topic replaces the primary bill. If “replace all” is done early during committee work, there is opportunity for testimony from residents and a vote by the committee prior to session. If a “Replace All” amendment shows up on session day, the public and the responsible committee for the topic have had no input or discussion.