| HB1814 is a bill to authorize criminal citations against motorists in construction zones, based solely on a digital camera image. It failed in the House last Tuesday. Democrat leader, Emily Virgin(D-Norman), immediately called yet another point of parliamentary order to point out that the House Rules only allow one vote of reconsideration of a measure. After yet another pause to deliberate, the chair then decreed that she had not presented her contest in a timely manner (because the roll was already closed & the vote was declared). The chair then allowed the bill to get an unlawful 2nd floor vote. So the bill itself was given a 2nd vote on the house floor, where Rep. Jim Olsen debated against it, saying that a conviction via digital image is not in keeping with our constitutional right for the accused to confront the accuser. The vote then resulted in a 25-67 heavy defeat. At least 15 lawmakers changed their vote between the Tuesday rollcall and today. Among those flipping to 'Yes' were: Culver, Dobrinski, Osburn, Roe, Strom, & Townley. Among those switching to 'No' were: Brewer, Dempsey, Hasenbeck, Moore, & Pfeiffer. |  |
The next vote resulted in a 54 vote narrow majority. Some of that was because 7 members (Blancett, Hilbert, Hill, Sims, Sneed, Sterling, & Josh West) went from abstaining to a 'Yes' vote. But there were another 7 who flipped from a 'No' vote to a yes vote (Chad Caldwell, Dills, Humphrey, Kendrix, Newton, Patzkowsky, & Phillips). It's referred to as getting flipped or rolled. It's also called 'the art of arm-twisting'. It sometimes reveals those who will negotiate their conscience away for a future benefit.
At the same time, Fetgatter & McIntire removed their support for the motion to reconsider.
At the same time, Fetgatter & McIntire removed their support for the motion to reconsider.
An Illegal Vote
 | Democrat leader, Emily Virgin(D-Norman), immediately called yet another point of parliamentary order to point out that the House Rules only allow one vote of reconsideration of a measure. After yet another pause to deliberate, the chair then decreed that she had not presented her contest in a timely manner (because the roll was already closed & the vote was declared). The chair then allowed the bill to get an unlawful 2nd floor vote. So the bill itself was given a 2nd vote on the house floor, where Rep. Jim Olsen debated against it, saying that a conviction via digital image is not in keeping with our constitutional right for the accused to confront the accuser. The vote then resulted in a 25-67 heavy defeat. At least 15 lawmakers changed their vote between the Tuesday rollcall and today. Among those flipping to 'Yes' were: Culver, Dobrinski, Osburn, Roe, Strom, & Townley. Among those switching to 'No' were: Brewer, Dempsey, Hasenbeck, Moore, & Pfeiffer. |
