Kansas Republican House members finally stood up to Speaker Dan Hawkins.
And they won.
The contest began on Thursday, when fed up backbenchers tried to extract a bill from committee for a floor vote. Hawkins had bottled up two bills meant to control prescription drug prices — he’s worked as an insurance agent for decades — and his colleagues had reached the end of their collective ropes. He ended the March 19 session rather than allow debate on Senate Bill 284.
“We were trying to do the process, and the process got stopped,” said Rep. Allen Reavis, R-Atchison. “We just wanted to have a fair chance to have a discussion. My battle is just to have a voice, to let people have a voice. Let’s have the debate. If the body votes it down, they vote it down.”
From such modest words do revolutions grow.
On Monday, Hawkins appeared to wave the white flag. While SB 284 was nowhere to be seen, the contents of another prescription drug measure were stuffed inside Senate Bill 20.
It sailed through the House by a 104-17 margin before easily clearing the Senate, 32-8. That looks like pent-up demand for action to me.
Sen. Beverly Gossage, R-Eudora, claimed that insurance industry colleagues were “confused and shocked” by votes for the bill. She must have missed the national outrage over health care costs and cascading claim denials.
Want more evidence that the renegade majority has turned on its leaders? Just take a look at those vote totals. Hawkins voted against the overwhelming majority of his chamber — he was one of those 17. So did Senate President Ty Masterson — he was on of those eight.
Neither leader would have gone out on such a limb unless forced to do so by their respective majorities.
For once, let me say of our Legislature, loud and clear: Good for them.
I’ve made a point to distinguish between rank-and-file GOP lawmakers and their leadership. Many lawmakers want to serve their communities and pass constructive policy. That desire crosses party lines.
But leadership — Hawkins and Masterson — have deployed increasingly heavy-handed tactics to keep their troops subdued and obedient.
Lawmakers have been forced to toe the line and keep their mouths shut, lest they face discipline from the upper ranks. After House lawmakers refused to redistrict U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids out of a seat, Hawkins made the holdouts pay.
Leadership and a small number of their handpicked lieutenants have distorted the lawmaking process past all recognition. Backlash was always coming. The question was when and how severely.
I assume that Hawkins expected he could keep a lid on any rebellion until session’s end. As a lame duck come this fall, he couldn’t.
