MK Ofer Shelah
Interparty committee to give recommendations on legislative reform
The Knesset speaker meets with all faction leaders; in response to controversy following proposed changes to private bills and increase governmental oversight, special committee to be set up.
The Knesset speaker and faction heads agreed on Monday to set up a special interparty committee to provide recommendations with an aim to increasing Knesset supervision of the government and reducing private legislation.
Following the announcement of measures introduced by the ministers of justice and tourism last week and the ensuing debate, Speaker Yoel Edelstein hosted the leaders of every faction to discuss the proposal's details. Their meeting ended with their decision to establish the committee that is to include representatives from every political party.
The Knesset (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
The proposal seeks to limit the number of private bills an MK can propose each year to four or five. Currently, there is no limit. The committee of ministers that proposes bills would be limited to 15 per week. Further, the number of bills that are voted on by parliamentarians in preliminary readings would be significantly reduced to 250 maximum per annum.
During the meeting with Edelstein, Yesh Atid's faction leader, MK Ofer Shelah, presented a three-point plan assembled by his party's leader, MK Yair Lapid, that seeks to end the controversy over the proposal, which Yesh Atid has already supported.
The first part seeks to reduce the number of Knesset committees and simultaneously increase their oversight authority on government ministries. Amongst the requested new powers would be holding hears for senior officials before the committees, the authority to summon civil servants and budget supervision of the ministry.
The second part both limits private bills and enables MKs to appear before the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.
The third section addresses the running of the Knesset, seeking, inter alia, to establish a minimum quorum for debates to take place in the plenum and assigning sanctions for MKs who miss debates.
