OREGON HOUSE REPUBLICAN OFFICE
Salem, Ore. – House Republican Leader Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte) today issued a rebuke of House Speaker Tina Kotek for her failure to follow the committee appointment process outlined in House Rule 8.05 (3). The rule requires the Speaker to consult in good faith with elected leaders of each caucus when making appointments to committees. No such consultation took place prior to Speaker Kotek’s appointment of members to the Joint Interim Committee on Referendum 301.
“I have been an outspoken critic of the committee appointment process because I believe it puts too much power in the hands of a partisan politician without any kind of check or balance,” said Rep. McLane. “In response to my criticisms prior to the 2017 session, the House approved a rule change that required the Speaker to consult with other caucus leaders before making appointments. I did not believe that change went far enough, but I expected the Speaker to honor the letter and spirit of the change adopted by the House. Her actions today violated that rule change because she failed to work with, let alone consult, the House Republican leadership on what member would serve on the Joint Interim Committee on Referendum 301.
House Rule 8.5 (3) reads:
In determining committee appointments, the Speaker shall consult in good faith with the elected leader of each caucus.
The Joint Interim Committee on Referendum 301 is the committee charged with drafting the ballot title for a citizen referendum related to the referral of HB 2391, otherwise known as the “healthcare provider tax.”
“I’m very disappointed that Speaker Kotek would choose to violate House Rules on an issue as important as this one,” concluded Rep. McLane.
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