This was a day for the newsletter rule.

            I don’t have to be the lead sponsor of a bill. If I can legitimately take credit for my role in getting a bill passed, then I can mention it in my end-of-session newsletter.

           Two examples today.

           Last year, I introduced legislation to require the Public Service Commission to make comparative information about electricity prices easily accessible to the public. This website would include a user-friendly search tool, enabling consumers to search for service offers in their zip codes.

             My bill did not pass, but the chairman of the committee introduced similar legislation this session. House Bill 597 would require the commission to regularly update a customer choice education page. It passed the House today, 138-0.

             After the shooting of Congressman Gabrielle Giffords in January, I did not want that tragedy to pass without the legislature taking action. 

             At a minimum, we should address access to guns by people with mental illness. Gun control legislation is considered by the Judiciary Committee, where I served until this year.

             This means I would no longer be the most effective person to shepherd the bill through the committee.  So I asked Delegate Lu Simmons, a subcommittee chairman on Judiciary, to be the lead sponsor.

             He did the research and drafting for the legislation but kept me informed along the way. The amended bill, which creates a task force to study the access of individuals with mental illness to regulated firearms, was reported to the House floor today.

March 18