NEW SPEAKER ALREADY MAKING CHANGES

Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 01/11/2007
Page: 7A
Headline: NEW SPEAKER ALREADY MAKING CHANGES
Byline: PHIL KABLER

philk@wvgazette.com

New House Speaker Rick Thompson, D-Wayne, wasted no time Wednesday acting on his pledge to run a more open, inclusive House of Delegates.

Minutes after taking the oath of office as the 55th speaker of the House on Wednesday, Thompson announced steps to remove one of the vestiges of the previous leadership team - the consent calendar.

"I think that comes along the line of the campaign [for speaker] where we pledged to open up the processes of the House," Thompson said after presiding over his first House floor session.

The calendar was created under former speaker Bob Kiss, ostensibly to speed up passage of uncontroversial and routine bills by bundling them together for a single passage vote. Thompson said many delegates thought the process stifled debate.

"A lot of members felt they had trouble - I for one - following bills as closely as we ought to," he said.

Thompson said he's confident that the House will be able to come up with a better process to streamline floor sessions.

"There may be other options out there to streamline the process on bills that we have no need to debate. We wanted to show we're going be more open," he said. "Even if you have to spend a couple more hours on the floor ... we will be watching that."

Earlier Wednesday, the House elected Thompson on a 68-28 roll call vote. As is tradition, House Minority Leader-elect Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, ran as the Republican Party's nominee for speaker.

In his acceptance speech, Thompson told delegates he intends to keep his promise to create more opportunity for debate and a more inclusive House.

"Let us have the courage to put our partisan and factional differences behind," said Thompson, a trial lawyer and six-term delegate.
Four delegates were absent Wednesday - three because of illness or illness in the family - and Delegate Ron Thompson, D-Raleigh, who has not shown up for any legislative matters for 10 months.

The new speaker, who is not related to Ron Thompson, said he is having staff attorneys research options for dealing with Thompson's extended absence. The speaker said the state constitution is clear that any legislator who refuses take the oath of office forfeits his seat.

"Is it refusal or is it he unable to serve?" the speaker said of the absence.