Meetings
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[Unidentified Senator (lead Senate conferee)]: Okay.
[Rep. Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Thank you everyone for, your patience during that recess. Our senate colleagues had a chance to confer with senator Vahofsky on the language that we were discussing. Counsel. Senator Galmer?
[Unidentified Senator (lead Senate conferee)]: Yeah. Thank you, mister chair. So as much as I agree with the sentiment about the more expansive we make the universe, the more potentially likely it is to, have to undergo judicial review. The three of us, I believe, we'll see when we vote, are going to take the revised version that Rick presented earlier in this meeting, the a and the b, and go with that. And then I think everything else has been decided. So with due apologies to, those that may still have serious concerns. I I don't wanna continue to because after today, senator Morley won't be able to be with us for about eight days. The only alternative would be to go back to the committee on committees and ask for a new third member of this committee, and then we could continue to meet. Not that I don't mind seeing you all. It's it's wonderful to do that. But, I think this is, since January '25 already. I mean, I think we need to make a decision. So that's what we are.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky]: Sounds reasonable. Okay.
[Rep. Matthew Birong (Chair)]: And as far as the process, any other comment from the table on on the language that's being discussed and considered right now? Yes, Senator Velocity.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky]: Oh, I just I in our consultation, one of the things that I found, as kind of helpful about this language is that it is narrower than California's that was challenged, but slightly more protective. And I just I think the compelling state interest of protecting our elections is quite compelling, and I don't want to always be behind. And so I feel like this threads a needle of coming away from what was challenged in California, but giving us a little bit more protection, hopefully ahead of something terrible happening in an election.
[Rep. Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Representative Orange sentence.
[Unidentified Representative (House conferee)]: I don't feel comfortable with the language, but I am glad that it seems like there's enough agreement around the table that you all can push it forward and help protect our elections without having to compromise personally, what I think is right for me and my constituents. But I appreciate that effort and the work that went into it.
[Rep. Matthew Birong (Chair)]: And then it canceled the process for voting on this refreshment memory. Like, how do we affirm? So, to adopt the report that I have
[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: a hard copy of here, to at least two member from each chamber when you design the report. Is is that what you're asking about or you want the Yeah.
[Rep. Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Yeah. Yeah. Just the process. Yeah.
[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: And then I take it to the it goes to the house first. It's a senate bill, so it'll go to the house. It's an up or down vote. If it's an up, it goes to the senate. And if it's an up, it goes to the governor. If either chamber goes it down, you can adopt a new committee of conference. It's up to the leadership of each chamber at that point.
[Rep. Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Understood. Yep. So at this point, the formality is the signatures. Correct.
[Unidentified Senator (lead Senate conferee)]: And just if if we can wait to sign until, senator Vievski can actually I think she has to be in person in order to do that. I believe that is the case.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky]: And she message to John Bloomer to see if there was a DocuSign or virtual way to do it. I'm waiting to hear back. But if not, I'll figure out some way to mask up and hide somewhere and come in and sign.
[Rep. Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Thank you. Thank you for that.
[Unidentified Senator (lead Senate conferee)]: So we can even wait till Friday or in other words, we agree that we agree that signed out. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. And it'd be helpful, I think, for whosoever, I assume you'll be the one reporting in your chamber, myself on our side, with a little bit of a side by side or Sure. At least some notes to, help people along. Because if it is a strike all, even though we've really spent a lot of time, many of the other senators don't even remember this bill because it was, as I say, January a year ago, January.
[Rep. Matthew Birong (Chair)]: K. I guess barring any further discussion from any of the members here, we will Move to vote.
[Unidentified Senator (lead Senate conferee)]: Move to vote, and have
[Rep. Matthew Birong (Chair)]: his signature. So do we do we do a verbal vote here and then signatures? I'm still
[Rick (Legislative Counsel)]: I don't think the verbal vote's required.
[Rep. Matthew Birong (Chair)]: No. I didn't think so. I thought yeah. Yeah. I was just clarifying. Alright. So it's about the signatures. Yep. Okay. So we will figure that out, and get that stuff signed. Thank you for trying to work through this with a senator while you're remote and not not feeling well. It's it's appreciated.
[Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky]: Of course. Think I remember from other, committees of conference that there's like a little handshake ceremony.
[Unidentified Senator (lead Senate conferee)]: Well, I'm afraid to get COVID now.
[Unidentified Representative (House conferee)]: I know. Here, we'll do a wave. Yeah. Thank you. It was nice working with all of Yes. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you, Rick.
[Rep. Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Oh, yeah. You're very welcome. So I guess that concludes this community conference. Thank you, everyone.