Jeff City View

All business at the Capitol

This was a short week due to the holiday on Monday, but we accomplished a lot. This week members of both parties came together and passed the new rules for the 93rd session of the Missouri House of Representatives by a margin of 100 to 56. These are the most bi-partisan rules that the House has seen in a long time, and they actually give the minority party a greater voice. The new rules were based in part on the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives and rules from other State Houses. We've crafted a plan to give members of both parties equal time to debate important issues, which we hope will cut down on the partisan bickering that keeps good bills from becoming good laws.

There are six major features to the new rules that will make the Missouri House a more professional body:

* Both Democrats and Republicans will be guaranteed equal debate time on major issues.

* Committees will be stronger and will draft more legislation.

* The majority will now keep the minority informed about upcoming business so they can prepare for debate.

* Floor debates will focus on issues and not personalities.

* Last minute substitutes that don't go through committee will be stopped.

* Members will have to be in the House Chamber to vote.

The new committee chairmen were also appointed, using a new interview process designed to make the selection more businesslike. It used to be that it was easier for committee chairmen to be appointed because of political loyalty instead of individual merit. The new process is more about personal qualifications and less about personal favors. Candidates for a chairmanship now have to interview for their job before a steering committee of their caucus peers, which makes a recommendation to the Speaker as to who is the best person for the job. These recommendations are based on knowledge of the issues, commitment to bi-partisan cooperation, and good old-fashioned enthusiasm. This new system is more fair and open.

We're also putting more emphasis on the committee process this session. The reason for that is because we've got our best people on a given subject in each committee.

For instance, our experts on farming issues are in the agriculture committee, so it makes sense that we do most of the work on a farm bill in the ag committee. That way, the people who know the most about an issue do the most work on that issue. The committees are also going to be very open to the public. We'll be able to directly incorporate the concerns of everyday folks into the legislation we create.

It's only taken us a few days, but the Missouri House has not only adopted rules changes that will act as an olive branch between the parties, but also appointed committee leaders. I'm optimistic that our committee chairmen will lead us in a new direction, and I'm proud of our efforts to bring both sides together as we move forward this session.

Contact Barney Fisher's office at (800) 382-4123 or (573) 751-5388 or write to: Representative Barney Fisher, State Capitol, Room 201B, 201 W Capitol Ave, Jefferson City, MO 65101.