House Republicans slam WA Democrats for ‘censoring’ debate on parental rights law
House Republicans are blasting their Democratic colleagues for effectively shutting down debate on a controversial parental-rights bill on Monday.
State Rep. April Connors, the House Republican floor leader, said that earlier in the session, House Democrats voted to overturn a 132-year-old rule that protected open, free debate in the lower chamber.
That rule required a supermajority vote to stop debate on bills, helping ensure the voices of the minority party’s arguments could always be heard, she said. But Democrats in January essentially lowered that threshold from a two-thirds vote down to a simple majority.
“So we’ve gone all session this year without them actually invoking the rule to end debate, which is what they did three times last night in one debate,” said Connors, a Kennewick Republican.
House lawmakers Monday were debating Senate Bill 5181, which went on to pass 56-39. Democrats say the proposal would clarify a citizens initiative that lawmakers adopted last year outlining 15 rights for parents of public-school students. They argue the measure helps to align the initiative with existing state and federal law.
Republicans contend that the bill would “gut” the initial measure.
A couple hours into the House-floor debate on SB 5181, Connors said, the Democrats invoked the debate-ending rule.
“To the House Republicans, that was a devastating move, especially for the over 3 million people the Republicans represent in the state of Washington — to silence our voices,” she said.
Connors said that in response, Republicans asked for oral roll calls Monday evening during debate on a producer-responsibility bill that GOP lawmakers fear will prompt grocery prices to increase. That meant lawmakers had to be accountable and present to physically announce their vote, she said.
It was a bit of retaliation by House Republicans to say that the debate change isn’t fair, she said.
“It’s a dangerous precedent that they set there, basically weaponizing their caucus against our caucus by replacing the open and honest debate that we should be able to have,” Connors said.
State Rep. Peter Abbarno, the House Republican Caucus chair, called the Democrats’ move a “stunning display of political control.”
In his view, House Democrats chose to operate in their echo chamber instead of hearing opposing views.
“This is not how democracy is supposed to work,” the Centralia Republican said in an April 14 statement. “When those in power suppress debate to avoid accountability, trust in our institution erodes. House Republicans will continue to stand with parents and fight for transparency, even when the majority doesn’t want to hear it.”
Reached for comment, House Speaker Laurie Jinkins defended the rule change.
“We had over four hours of debate on the House floor on SB 5181, much of which was both duplicative and degrading towards transgender and other marginalized children,” the Tacoma Democrat said in an emailed statement. “Washingtonians deserve a healthy debate, not a procedural delay meant to kill bills with majority support.”
Several Republican lawmakers’ remarks about SB 5181 on Monday focused on transgender issues. A failed minority-party amendment sought to bar transgender girl athletes from competing in girls’ sports.
Republican state Rep. Michelle Caldier of Gig Harbor noted in a news release that Democrats enacted the new debate rule when Republicans sought an amendment that would let the matter “go to the people’s vote.”
Caldier said Monday that this isn’t how the legislative process was supposed to work.
“This move today is an attempt to muzzle the voices of the people,” she continued. “It is simply wrong and completely against our system of democracy.”
House Democrats explain Rule 20
State Rep. Jeremie Dufault, a Selah Republican, delivered impassioned remarks on the House floor Monday.
“This chamber has existed for over 130 years, but for the first time in its history a few moments ago, debate was silenced. Debate was censored,” he said before being gaveled down by Jinkins, who urged him to stick to the policy at hand.
Asked about the debate-rule change at a Jan. 28 media availability, Jinkins said she hoped it would help lawmakers focus their points.
“Our interest is in having very full, in-depth debates on topics, and not having them move into redundant filibusters, which is what we see,” Jinkins said at the time.
The Washington State Standard reported in January that the change of “Rule 20” makes it simpler for the majority party to stop Republican filibusters. The amount of time that House lawmakers can speak on a bill is up to 10 minutes, generally. That later lowers to three minutes as certain cut-off dates near.
As such deadlines approach, many House Republican lawmakers might sign up to speak, which takes up time and effectively impedes Democrats from clearing legislation before the clock runs out.
“We’ve seen bills with majority support not make it because they talk past cut-off,” House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon said at the time, per the Standard. “We don’t think that’s democratic.”
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