Post by pavel on Feb 27, 2016 5:57:42 GMT -6
Speaker Philip Gunn released the following statement late Thursday night after the House changed long-standing rules to no longer allow members to make a point of personal privilege:
Black Caucus Vice Chairman Rep. Earle Banks, D-Jackson, clarified his group's position.
Banks said that he did not hear nor is the Black Caucus claiming that Gunn "reiterated that only Republicans would be at the table when it comes to developing policy."
However, they remain concerned about the House leadership's lack of hearings and discussion on important issues, specifically HB 868. The bill will dilute black voter influence in the central district for public service commissioners, transportation commissioners and Supreme Court justices. These elected officials run in one of three districts across the state, two of which lean Republican and one of which leans Democrat.
Read more: www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/dailyledes/2016/02/25/black-caucus-upset-speaker-slow-legislation/80945232/
“Earlier today, the House members of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus announced their intention to slow down or stall the legislative process in the Mississippi House of Representatives,” said Speaker of the House Philip Gunn. “I met personally with them at length, both as a group and with individual members. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach a resolution.
“Their announced strategy appears to include requiring all bills to be read aloud to them on the House floor, resulting in unnecessary delay of the legislative process and waste of taxpayers’ resources,” he continued. “More importantly, these efforts appear designed solely to “run out the clock” under our strict legislative deadlines, with the ultimate goal of thwarting passage of all significant legislation this Session. As duly elected representatives on behalf of the people of Mississippi, we will utilize all reasonable parliamentary means necessary to advance and debate legislation in a meaningful way on the House floor. We invite the House members of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus to join us in this effort. Should they refuse our invitation and elect, instead, to continue these obstructionist tactics, we will not allow the people’s business to go undone, and we will implement the necessary changes to move forward with the citizens’ legislative agenda.”
“Their announced strategy appears to include requiring all bills to be read aloud to them on the House floor, resulting in unnecessary delay of the legislative process and waste of taxpayers’ resources,” he continued. “More importantly, these efforts appear designed solely to “run out the clock” under our strict legislative deadlines, with the ultimate goal of thwarting passage of all significant legislation this Session. As duly elected representatives on behalf of the people of Mississippi, we will utilize all reasonable parliamentary means necessary to advance and debate legislation in a meaningful way on the House floor. We invite the House members of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus to join us in this effort. Should they refuse our invitation and elect, instead, to continue these obstructionist tactics, we will not allow the people’s business to go undone, and we will implement the necessary changes to move forward with the citizens’ legislative agenda.”
Banks said that he did not hear nor is the Black Caucus claiming that Gunn "reiterated that only Republicans would be at the table when it comes to developing policy."
However, they remain concerned about the House leadership's lack of hearings and discussion on important issues, specifically HB 868. The bill will dilute black voter influence in the central district for public service commissioners, transportation commissioners and Supreme Court justices. These elected officials run in one of three districts across the state, two of which lean Republican and one of which leans Democrat.
Read more: www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/dailyledes/2016/02/25/black-caucus-upset-speaker-slow-legislation/80945232/