After Democrat House Speaker Brian Egolf expressed concerns over floor debates being used as delay tactics in February, he is looking to change the rules regarding the length of floor debates in order to move the session along.
In a Facebook post published on Dec. 5, New Mexico House Republicans say that it has been the Democrats who have been late to committee meetings and missing debates. Egolf’s threat to limit debate is an affront to democracy, the Republicans say, and the rules that Egolf wants to change have protected the interests of all New Mexico residents for 45 years.
"Limiting debate only cheapens our democracy," the post states. "The rules are meant to protect the interests of all New Mexicans, not just House Democrats. The speaker shouldn’t be so eager to do away with rules that have provided equal representation to all New Mexicans for generations."
The current rule allows for three hours of debate on each bill before the motion to close deliberations and vote.
Egolf brought up the possibility of rule changes in February when he said that the delay tactics could threaten public education proposals and others. Republicans defended the lengthy debates, saying that hastily written bills were to blame.
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