Senate Education Committee delays hearings, cites 24‑hour referral rule

At a Senate Education Committee meeting, Speaker 1, an unidentified committee member, said the panel would not take public testimony on recently referred legislation because the Senate rule requires at least one intervening day between referral and committee consideration. "No bill or resolution introduced and referred to a committee may be considered by a committee until at least 1 intervening day occurs between the day of referral and the day the committee meets to conduct their business," Speaker 1 said.

The rule includes an emergency exception permitting earlier consideration if two-thirds of the committee agrees. Speaker 2, an unidentified committee member, asked whether a two-thirds vote could be used to call up bills filed yesterday; Speaker 1 confirmed it could. "Yes," Speaker 1 said in response to the question about using the two-thirds threshold.

Committee members applied the timing rule to a recently filed measure, SB 2, which Speaker 1 said had not met the 24-hour threshold and so could not receive testimony at this meeting. Speaker 1 told colleagues they would "work with the sponsors of the bills" and reconvene once the threshold was met.

No formal motion or roll-call vote was recorded on postponement; the committee adjourned after the procedural discussion. The committee’s action preserves the statutory timing intended to give the public access and time to weigh in on legislation; it also leaves open the option to consider bills earlier if two-thirds of the committee votes to do so.