Posted: | October 6, 2023 02:00 PM |
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From: | Representative Timothy J. O'Neal |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Prohibiting “Midnight Madness” Committee Votes |
In the near future, I plan to introduce a Resolution to amend the General Operating Rules of the House of Representatives to prohibit committees from taking votes later than what is permitted in the rules for the full body. Just recently, members were astonished to learn that a late-night committee voting meeting was to be held after 11:00PM, past the deadline for votes in the House of Representatives. As midnight approached, members were forced to vote on an amendment that would substantially change the underlying bill. Worse, members were only afforded minutes to review the amendment before being forced to vote. This “Midnight Madness” is an insult to democracy and a disservice to this body and the people of Pennsylvania that it represents. No legislation should be rushed and voted on in darkness and away from the eyes of the public. Please join me in sponsoring this resolution to improve transparency and accountability in the legislative process. |
Introduced as HR330