House Republican Leader C. Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah), issued the following statement:
“Today was a dark day for the House of Delegates. The Democratic majority abandoned 400 years of tradition and rule of law so that they could avoid public scrutiny of their far left wing agenda — and demanded a $210 travel allowance to do so from the comfort of their couches.
“With a single vote, they declared that they have no need to meet in public, they have no desire to receive public input, and they have no intention of changing that practice anytime soon. Our constituents deserve to have the business of the House done in public. They deserve the right to be heard in committee hearings.
“Worse, both the Speaker and the Majority Leader told the press that this had been worked out ahead of time between Republicans and Democrats. That is false. But sadly, this is what we’ve come to expect from the Democratic majority.”