TOPEKA � A rite of passage for a freshman legislator is to carry a bill on the floor of the Kansas House of Representatives.



The member stands at the podium and explains what�s in the bill, answering questions from lawmakers. For first-timers, friendly grilling is part of the ritual. Getting their photo taken at the podium is another ritual.



Rep. Patsy Terrell, D-Hutchinson, has yet to carry a bill, and the odds don�t favor that happening this year. This month, the office of Speaker of the House Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, instructed committee chairmen not to have Democrats on their committee carry a bill, according to House Minority Leader Jim Ward, D-Wichita.



�The Speaker�s throwing a temper tantrum,� Ward said.



�After we passed Medicaid expansion, due process for teachers and overrode the governor�s veto (of a bill to raise income taxes), he made a dictate to the chair of the committees that no Democrat should carry a bill,� Ward said.



Besides Terrell, other freshmen Democrats who have not carried a bill are: Reps. Steve Crum, Haysville; Cindy Holscher, Olathe; Jerry Stogsdill, Prairie Village; Jeff Pittman, Leavenworth; Brett Parker, Overland Park; and Monica Murnan, Pittsburg. Rep. Jim Gartner, D-Topeka, is in his first regular session and he�s on the list, too.



Last week, freshman Republican Rep. Tory Arnberger, Great Bend, carried her first bill. The anti-robocall legislation was actually inspired by Lawrence constitutents of Rep. Boog Highberger, D-Lawrence, who testified for it in a committee hearing. It restricts commercial automated robocalls.



The Medicaid expansion and due process legislation in the House came up for votes because of maneuvers in the House by Democrats, after that legislation failed to make it out of committee. Eric Turek, communications director for Ryckman, told The News Monday that the ban against Democrats carrying bills would remain until House Republican leadership could regain trust in Democrats.



Turek also said he thought former Speaker of the House Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell, had been more restrictive of Democrats carrying bills.



� �I�m terrible, but the last guy was worse,� � Ward said, �says a lot about the character of that office.�



Less than 20 minutes after The News asked Turek about Ryckman�s ban, Turek told The News reporter to stop sitting in the back of the House chamber. Since January, the reporter, with the approval of officials maintaining order in the chamber, has sat where television cameras are positioned when in the chamber.



The bill to stem commercial automated robocalls passed 121-1 Monday.