GOP attempt to open conference committees dies

An attempt by House Republicans to open legislative conference committees was killed by Democrats on Monday.

The House Rules and Order of Business Committee voted 11-7, along party lines, against House Resolution 2, a proposal by Minority Whip Dan Foley of Roswell to change the rules and prohibit House members from participating in closed conference committees.

Such committees meet when the House and Senate pass different versions of bills. They are composed of two Democrats and one Republican from each chamber and are charged with reconciling the differences, so often the most important discussion takes place behind closed doors.

Foley argues that his resolution would kill closed conference committees because, without House members, they can’t meet, regardless of whether the Senate wants to open conference committees.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has attempted for years to open conference committees, but been shot down each time by a larger bipartisan group that opposes the change.

Still outstanding are bills sponsored by Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, Sen. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque, and Sen. Joe Carraro, R-Albuquerque, that seek to open conference committees to the public.

Cervantes is vice chair of the committee that killed Foley’s proposal and one of the Democrats that voted against it. Fresh off his removal as chair of the House Judiciary Committee, how could Cervantes go against Speaker Ben Lujan and Majority Leader Ken Martinez, both members of the rules committee and opponents of Foley’s resolution?

Lujan told the Associated Press that he favors opening conferences committees except on the budget bill, saying public scrutiny of such discussions would lengthen negotiations and be tough on the members of the committee. He wants a bill to pass both chambers, however – not a resolution passed by the House that kills closed conference committees without input from the Senate.

Martinez has said he generally supports opening conference committees as long as there are a few exemptions.

Cervantes’ bill is set to have its first committee hearing Thursday. Since there are still bills outstanding that would open conference committees, and it appears the leadership in the House and at least a number of senators generally favor opening such committees, maybe they can pass bills and get together in a closed conference committee to work out the issues.