New Kansas House rules still allow unrecorded votes on bills

Some Democrats are protesting new rules in the Kansas House because they still allow unrecorded votes by committees on legislation.

The House approved its operating rules Wednesday on a 104-15 vote. The rules will be in effect for 2019 and 2020.

Leaders from both parties said the rules contain changes designed to make the legislative process more open.  They require more disclosure of information about who seeks bills and are aimed at making it easier to track when they’re completely rewritten.

But some Democrats said the changes aren’t significant and that the GOP-controlled House needs to require recorded votes on legislation in committee. Most committee members’ votes are not recorded.

It’s a long-standing practice. Top House Republicans said requiring recorded votes in committee would slow their work down.