House Speaker Kirk Adams

Tempers flared hot today in the House of Representatives as lawmakers rush to finish work on dozens of bills held up for months because of the budget crisis. House Speaker Kirk Adams, R-Mesa, took the rare step of appointing a new member to one committee at the last minute to keep some of those bills alive, and Democrats went to the House floor to cry “foul.”

This is the last week for standing committees to meet, so any bill still waiting in line for a hearing on Saturday will be lost for the year. Every committee must have a minimum number of its members present (called a quorum) in order to conduct any business. Today, Rep. Ray Barnes, R-Phoenix, was absent from the House Committee on Military Affairs and Public Safety. Democrats on the committee saw a chance to prevent consideration of Senate Bill 1270, which would allow most people to carry concealed guns without a state permit, and other measures they don’t like. All of the Democrats removed themselves from the room as well, leaving the committee without enough members to meet.

So during a committee recess, Adams drafted freshman Rep. David Stevens, R-Sierra Vista, from somewhere in the House hallways to become a new committee member and thwart the Democrats. The committee came back with Stevens to hear the rest of its bills, and several Republicans took some time to bitterly complain about the Democrats’ tactic.

In turn, the Democrats complained Adams had violated House rules with the abrupt change to the committee. But the general consensus by this afternoon was that Kirk’s move was allowed. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, pointed out on the House floor that a number of years ago, former House Speaker Mark Killian, R-Mesa, had gotten so upset with a committee chairman that Killian replaced that person with another House lawmaker while the committee was meeting.

That didn’t stop Democratic floor leaders David Lujan and Kyrsten Sinema from formally objecting. Sinema said the move wasn’t fair to Stevens, to the committee or the public because he had to vote on bills he had almost no time to review. Lujan seemed at least as angry about the verbal barbs tossed at the Democrats.

On the other hand, Rep. Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix (a former House speaker) said Adams was too kind to the Democrats.

“If people don’t want to go through with their responsibilities, then just remove them (from the committee),” Weiers said.

Several House members said things appear to be unraveling as the end of the fiscal year approaches (six days left) without an adopted state budget and the possibility of a government shutdown looms ever larger.

“I think everyone is letting their emotions get the better of them in these last few days down here, and we can’t do that,” said Rep. Chad Campbell, D-Phoenix.

“I have enjoyed the debate,” Rep Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford, added in a dry tone. “But we have to get to work.”