After extensive discussion, the City Council voted down a proposal which would allow several city committees to sponsor ordinances and resolutions without sponsorship from alders or the mayor.

Under the proposed change in ordinance, the Equal Opportunities Commission, Affirmative Action Commission and Commission on People with Disabilities would be able to introduce ordinances and resolutions directly to the council, bypassing the requirement of sponsorship by an alder or Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.

The proposal would require a commission or committee to first solicit sponsorship from all alders as well as the mayor before deciding to sponsor its own ordinance.

Equal Opportunities Commission Vice President and former alder Bert Zipperer spoke in support of the proposal, saying it would send a powerful message about the city’s commitment to civil rights.

“All it says is that the city of Madison believes so strongly in civil rights that you don’t want any barriers in the introduction of items to this council by these three commissions,” Zipperer said.

In response to concerns about the proposal being a “power grab” by unelected citizens, Zipperer said it would simply allow committees to introduce, not vote on, legislation.

Furthermore, Zipperer said the introduction of ordinances and resolutions in this manner would not differ significantly from the current practice, pointing to the 66 items on the council’s agenda that were not sponsored by alders or the mayor.

Madison resident Rosemary Lee spoke in opposition to the proposal, saying it is a not a civil rights issue, but rather a legislative issue.

“Our legislative process has worked well for many, many years, and it still does,” Lee said. “I feel that if a city committee … can’t find at least one alder to sponsor what you want to do, then it probably is not a very good idea.”

Likewise, several alders opposed the proposal. Ald.

Mark Clear, District 19, claimed a committee’s ability to sponsor ordinances is a “step toward legislating.”

Ald. Jed Sanborn, District 1, defended the current ordinance regulating sponsorship as necessary to the system of checks and balances currently in place.

“This is just part of our checks and balances,” Sanborn said. “One of 20 alders is needed to introduce a change to our laws. If you can’t get that, that’s a check. We don’t just do things willy-nilly in government.”

Other alders said the proposal was unnecessary, and most committees do not have any trouble finding sponsors for ordinances and resolutions.

Lucia Nu?ez, director of the Department of Civil Rights, said she has never “felt a barrier” when trying to find a sponsor.

Ald. Satya Rhodes-Conway, District 12, said that when originally asked to sponsor the bill, she turned it down. After hearing Zipperer’s proposal and the subsequent debate, however, Rhodes-Conway changed her mind in support of the proposal.

Rhodes-Conway added the council should extend the courtesy of sponsorship to all other city commissions.

In a 9-to-10 vote, the City Council ultimately voted against the proposal.