On January 8, according to New Hampshire law, we held our first House Session of the year. We voted on proposed changes to House Rules. I had submitted a floor amendment to Rule 33 which read: Floor Amendment to House Rule 33 Proposed by Rep. Andrus Amend House Rule 33 to read as: 33. Designating Electing the chairman. The first-named member of any committee appointed by the Speaker shall call the first meeting of the committee; be chairman; and in case of the chairman’s absence or being excused by the House, the next-named member shall be chairman, and so on, as often as the case may happen, unless otherwise ordered by the Speaker. The members of the committee shall elect a committee chair and vice chair from the committee’s membership. Any previously appointed/sitting chairs and vice chairs who were appointed prior to January 8, will not retain their positions and those positions must be elected in accordance with this rule.

The rule change would have allowed the House Committee members of each committee to elect the Chair and Vice Chair. There are about 20 Legislators on each committee. I know now the amendment should have been tweaked to say the Chair and Vice Chair would be candidates of the prevailing party.

In my opinion, the New Hampshire House members should have the ability to elect their Chair and Vice Chair, rather than the decision being made by those not even on the committee. Let me give you a scenario. 

There are five committee members that are returning to the same committee as the previous year, yet not one is asked if they would like to be the Vice Chair. Instead a new Legislator to the Co becomes the Vice Chair. It is not fair. 

In my opinion our rights as Legislators is being taken away from us as we should have the opportunity to elect our own Chair and Vice Chair of the committee we’re on. The rule change failed, but it will give the Legislators something to think about as it will come before the House again.

Representative Louise Andrus, 406 Raccoon Hill Rd., Salisbury NH 03268; 

603 648-2510; l.a.andrus21@nullgmail.com.