OK, well, this message, received moments ago, through me for a bit of a loop:
Dear Friends,
We Did It! On-the-Record Voting just passed on the floor of the South Carolina
House of Representatives by a vote of 115-0!
Click here to read my blog which has more details as well as my thoughts about this significant
accomplishment.
Are you as surprised as I am? I had no idea that Nikki had a blog.
There's also, of course, the fact that I thought what the House had been planning to do on roll-call voting did not meet Nikki's, or Nathan Ballantine's standards, which is what all that fuss was about that led to the Speaker booting them off their committees, etc.
But Cindi tells me that the House moved in Nikki's and Nathan's direction on this today. So all's well, I suppose. I haven't had time to sort it out yet; I just bring it to your attention.
Meanwhile, here's what the Speaker's office put out on the subject today:
SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2009
Contact: Greg Foster
House Strengthens Requirements for Roll Call Votes
Adds to list of required transparent votes
(Columbia, SC) – During December’s organizational session, the House adopted a rule strengthening the requirements in which roll call votes are taken. Today, House members added to this accountability requirement more instances in which an automatic roll call vote will be required.
House Speaker Bobby Harrell said, “Strengthening our transparency rules in December was the right thing to do. Since then, a number of members said they would like to see a few more items added to the required roll call list. This measure – unanimously adopted by the House – provides for even more true accountability on the major issues taken up by the House of Representatives.”
Measures requiring a roll call include:
- Amendment to the Constitution of South Carolina
- Legislation ratifying a proposed amendment to Constitution of South Carolina
- Bills raising or reducing a tax or fee
- Adoption of the Budget
- ***Adoption of each section of the Budget unless unanimous consent is given
- Adoption of a state or congressional reapportionment plan
- Bills increasing or decreasing the salary, benefits, or retirement benefits of members of the General Assembly, Constitutional Officers, or members of the Judicial Branch
- Bills amending the Ethics and Accountability Act or the Campaign Finance Act;
- ***Conference and free conference report
- Any question for which the Constitution of South Carolina requires a roll call vote
- Amendments to the Budget spending $10,000 or more
- ***Adoption of bills returned to the House with Senate Amendments
- Any election by the General Assembly or the House or Representatives except where the election is declared by unanimous consent to be by declaration
- All vetoes from the Governor
- Any questions for which 10 members of the House request a roll call vote
*** New requirements added to December’s rule Change
# # #
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Through you for a bit of a loop?
If you won’t read my e-mail, can I reach you by homophone?
It thoroughly threw me, all the way thru.
I agree with this we must vote them its our duty
Christena
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