Rep. John Lombardi, the only state lawmaker to openly challenge Nicholas Mattiello for the speaker's gavel, has proposed a series of changes to the way the House operates — including term limits for top leaders — intended to make the chamber more democratic.

PROVIDENCE — Rep. John Lombardi, the only state lawmaker to openly challenge Nicholas Mattiello for the speaker's gavel, has proposed a series of changes to the way the House operates — including term limits for top leaders — intended to make the chamber more democratic.

In a letter to fellow lawmakers, Lombardi, a Providence Democrat and a member of the Reform Caucus that opposes Mattiello's leadership, said if elected to the House's top spot in January he would pursue four changes designed to reduce the power of the speakership:

- Elect committee chairs through votes by committee members instead of appointment by the speaker.

- Adopt a six-year term limit for all House leadership positions and committee chairs.

- Allow a majority vote of the House to bring bills being "held for further study" out of committee and to the floor for action.

- Give committee chairs and the minority leader the power to bring a certain number of bills to the floor each session.

Under current House rules, committee chairs have the power to vote bills out of their committees and onto the full House for votes, but the speaker controls the membership of the committees and appoints the chairs, giving him effective control over whether legislation sees the light of day.

"So now is the time to either reassess the Speaker’s power or to elect new more progressive minded leadership," Lombardi wrote in a Dec. 19 letter he said went out to all members of the House except Mattiello. "We must discontinue the practice of one person having the power to control any and all legislation. Let’s demolish the authoritarian power that continually exists in our Chamber."

In the wake of a divisive end to the 2018 legislative session, as many as 21 representatives or representatives-elect announced they would not vote for Mattiello as speaker and formed the Reform Caucus championing rules changes to reduce the power of the speaker. (The caucus was recently reduced to 19 members by Laufton Ascencao's resignation and related turmoil.)

Lombardi is the only member of the Reform Caucus to publicly say he is running against Mattiello.

"No one ever decided to run for office to be a rubber stamp," Lombardi said in his letter. "When you decided to run, you did so with the idea that you could make a difference, have you? Have you even been given the opportunity to do so? Well, my friend, the time has come to make that difference. For this, and for many other reasons, I herein make clear my intention to seek your support for the privilege of becoming the next Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives."

House Republicans have called for similar rules changes to what Lombardi is promoting, but will probably vote for House Minority Leader Blake Filippi if he runs.

Asked if he will run, Filippi on Monday said traditionally the top Republican does, but "nothing is set in stone."

Lombardi said he has been in contact with Filippi and could still pull his name out of the running and back the GOP leader on Jan. 1 for the first sessions of 2019 and to elect leaders of the House and Senate.