Rep. Bryan Shupe renews push for amendment to Delaware House rules, wants all bills heard in committee

DOVER, Del.- Representative Bryan Shupe is renewing his push for a rule change in the Delaware House of Representatives to allow for all bills to be guaranteed to be heard in committee and receive a vote if passed in those committees.

He tells 47ABC he wanted to introduce the measure on the first day of the session but was assured the rules would be incorporated during the formal session rules hearing, rather than the temporary rules motion that was passed on the first day of the legislative session.

Shupe tells 47ABC as of the 19th of January the hearing has not taken place.

Shupe tells 47ABC that he has found Bipartisan support for the measure to end so-called “pocket vetos” where bills introduced in committee or on the floor are at the discretion of the Chair, as the new rules would automatically add any bill that passed committee to the day’s agenda if not heard within a 12 day period.

“The number one foundational thing we need to is to have our bills heard within the committee, to have discussions to not just have them pass but have the dialogue on how we can better the lives of Delawareans that’s what committee is for,” Shupe said.

Shupe tells us that the legislature could run on the temporary rules for the rest of the session, but hopes leadership considers the amendments which he claims in the past resulted in a disparity of bills being heard from the minority versus the majority party in the house administration committee.