The exchange was a first for Senate President Pro-Tem David Givens — a challenge to a ruling of the chair.
What followed was a brief eruption of confusion on the Senate floor over the wording in Rule 48.
The commotion surrounded a bill known as "Hadley's Law," named after rape survivor Hadley Duvall. The sponsor, Louisville Sen. David Yates, argued it was never assigned to a committee and should be moved to the Senate floor. He filed what's known as a discharge petition last Thursday, hoping to win support for debate on the abortion exceptions on the floor. That would have required agreement from a majority of the GOP-dominated chamber, a tall order from the start.
But the chair decided that the move violated Senate Rule 48, which allows for the petition to be called on the "next succeeding legislative day after its filing." That wording caused consternation with one senator questioning the chamber's ability to read plain English.
Senate Majority Floor Leader also had harsh words, telling colleagues, "This is a political stunt on the last day of a legislative session. This bill can't even come to the floor for a vote because it doesn't have the required number of readings, and it certainly isn't going to be taken up by the House of Representatives."
Yates challenged the ruling.
"This is a very important precedent, a clear reading full 48, which I know most of you have done," he said. "I would ask you to follow the rules."
A Senate vote upheld the original chair ruling, effectively ending debate over the matter.
