One of the first orders of business today was the adoption of the procedural rules for the 2024 session.

In both chambers, the rules will remain the same as last year, but that led to some bipartisan criticism with members of the minority party, especially pointing to a recent report from the progressive leaning League of Women Voters of Kentucky.

The report, which we told you about in November, said fast tracking bills with little time for review or debate is happening now more than ever.

When we are are allowing the citizens across this commonwealth to hear and see what is being done not only behind the scenes but out here on the floor.

But mostly that's how we project ourselves as we come on this floor and as we debate these issues, that all things are included for everyone, not just the 100 of us on this floor, but for the citizens.

All across this Commonwealth.

I hear it for my constituents because they don't know what's happening here is happening too quickly.

When they find out that some things in committee or on the floor, they don't have time to drive the two and a half hours from northern Kentucky to get here, to let their voices be heard in this facility, in this building.

Proposing rules, changes, having a discussion in this body, having a conversation is not an act of aggression.

It is something that we should be doing.

It is something that each and every one of us, regardless of what county, what district we represent, we should be coming together to have discussions about the rules that are going to govern this process.

And that's something that we should be doing before session convenes.

That's something that I feel like a large number of members of this body have tried to do.

In response, House Speaker David Osborne said he took issue with some of the report's findings.

I understand that it's difficult to allow facts to influence your opinions.

And, you know, there were words like disappointed that were used.

I'm disappointed that nobody took the time to read the damn report.

And yet it was reported as a fact and was reported without question.

The fact of the matter is the number of fast tracked measures that were utilized to pass legislation from the time the Democratic majority in 2014 to the Republican majority in 2018, 23%.

What what happened between them?

We don't really know because they didn't bother to even use the data.

The resolution adopting the rules for the House passed by a vote of 72 to 23.