Legislature(1997 - 1998)
01/21/1997 03:10 PM House HES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL
SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
January 21, 1997
3:10 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Con Bunde, Chairman
Representative Joe Green, Vice Chairman
Representative Al Vezey
Representative Fred Dyson
Representative J. Allen Kemplen
Representative Tom Brice
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Brian Porter
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
Organizational meeting
PREVIOUS ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
No testimony given
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 97-1, SIDE A
Number 0001
CHAIRMAN CON BUNDE called the House Health, Education and Social
Services Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:10 p.m. Members
present at the call to order were Representatives Bunde, Green,
Vezey, Dyson, Kemplen and Brice. Representative Porter was absent.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said this was a brief organizational meeting to
answer any questions that the committee members might have about
the procedures as the committee goes through the session. He said
the committee meeting will begin as close to 3:00 p.m. as possible.
He announced that the committee needs four members for a quorum and
the committee might start voting very early in the meeting.
Number 0065
CHAIRMAN BUNDE introduced the new committee members; Representative
Dyson and Representative Kemplen. He then introduced committee
members who were returning to the legislature; Representative
Green, Representative Vezey and Representative Brice. He remarked
that Representative Green was returning to the committee after a
hiatus.
Number 0122
CHAIRMAN BUNDE introduced Lynne Smith as the able committee aide,
who does the difficult at any given moment and the impossible at a
day's notice. He introduced Corinne Conlon as the committee
secretary, the person responsible for transcribing the minutes. He
said it is important to get an accurate transcription in case the
legislative intent is ever in question and there is a need to go
back to the hard copy.
Number 0192
CHAIRMAN BUNDE introduced Gayle Wolf, an intern who will be working
with the committee to make sure the business gets done in a timely
fashion.
Number 0210
CHAIRMAN BUNDE reiterated that the meeting begins at 3:00 p.m. on
Tuesdays and Thursdays, at least at this point in the session. He
said, certainly, if the work load increases the meeting days would
expand to include Saturday.
Number 0242
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said the bill packets will be ready 3:00 p.m. the
day before the scheduled meeting, available for pick up on top of
the file cabinet inside the door. He said any questions regarding
the bill packets should be directed to Ms. Smith.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said these meetings are recorded for the public
record. He reviewed the procedure which he said is sometimes
cumbersome, but he said it is necessary to have the recognition of
the chairman so that people's names and titles are recorded and
their comments get proper attribution when the secretary
transcribes the minutes. He added that he forgets as well as
anyone that these microphones are sensitive and that tapping on
them muffles testimony.
Number 0335
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said in cases where there is dialogue on particular
testimony, it is awkward to have to keep interrupting and referring
through the chair but he asked that the committee members do that
as much as they could to make life as simple as possible for the
secretary. He said if something is said that is of particular
importance, committee members should preface their comments with,
"for the record." Those words will signal to the secretary that
the comment should be written verbatim to insure that the intent is
enshrined as the committee member would like it to be. He said he
would try to help out witnesses in this fashion as well.
Number 0408
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said if a committee member has an amendment to a
bill before the committee it is helpful if those amendments be in
written format. He said the more advance notice the committee has
on amendments, the more efficient the movement of the bill. He
said, in the past, the committee has amended pieces of legislation
right here at the table and probably will again, but he said we are
all better served if advance notice is given. He said it allows
the committee members to think the ideas through before they are
recorded on Gavel to Gavel.
Number 0443
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said it would normally be the policy of the
committee not to pass a bill out the first day the committee hears
it to give committee members a chance to review the information
and, if necessary, to do further research to seek input from the
various publics that they serve. He said if there is an overriding
necessity that the bill be passed out of committee in an
expeditious fashion it could be passed out in one meeting, but
normally the committee will give the bill at least two hearings and
take action at the second hearing.
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said that brings him up to what he wanted to cover.
He asked the committee if they had any questions or comments.
Number 0503
REPRESENTATIVE FRED DYSON said that at another venue he served,
there was a policy to not challenge or argue with people that
testified and asked what the committee's policy was on this
subject.
Number 0525
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said that policy is an excellent one. However,
being well aware of human nature and the fact that the committee is
here to gather information he said that if a committee member feels
that the information being given is incorrect and that the
committee ought to be made aware of it. He said he invites the
committee members to do this in a manner that does not involve a
debate with the witness. He said it is important for committee
members to express different information or different perspectives.
Number 0568
REPRESENTATIVE DYSON said he is sure the committee would never want
to penalize people when they come to testify before the committee.
He said when "push came to shove" for him he did not understand and
started asking probing and challenging questions. He said he would
try very hard to be respectful.
Number 0598
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said, again, that it is the committee's job to often
gather information to add to the understanding of the issue at
hand. He said it is intimidating for some folks to show up and
testify and the committee sits on the other side like a bunch of
judges here in our black robes. He said the committee doesn't want
to make the process any more intimidating then it already is. He
said he views it as part of his job to try to make people, who come
to the committee and testify, as comfortable as possible. He said
it is also necessary to get questions answered and that he, as
chairman, will assume the job as referee. He asked that
Representative Dyson not feel intimidated about asking questions.
Number 0643
CHAIRMAN BUNDE said he is appreciative of the willingness of
everyone to serve on what, he feels, is one of the most challenging
committees in the legislature. He said the committee has many
difficult issues to address and seldom are the answers simple. He
thanked the members for their willingness to serve the broader goal
and their role on the committee. He said he looked forward to a
good two years.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to conduct, CHAIRMAN BUNDE
adjourned the meeting of the House Health, Education and Social
Services Standing Committee at 3:20 p.m.
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