Gut and go

"Gut and go," also known as "gut and amend" or "gut and stuff," is a term used to describe a tactic used in United States state legislatures to pass bills quickly without public notice or hearings.[1]

Background

The procedure is legal in multiple states.[1] In Oregon, bills are required to be single-subject only. Consequently, "gut and go" placeholder bills must remain broad or in the same subject as the future amended bill.[3]

"Gut and go" was used to pass the Election Rigging Response Act in California as a part of the nationwide 2025–2026 United States redistricting movement.[4]

Procedure

Under "gut and go," a bill would pass one chamber. Then, in the other chamber, representatives strip it of its contents and merge another bill into it. The second chamber passes the first bill, which now has the contents of the second bill. Because the first chamber already passed the bill, it only needs to approve of the changes, not have another public hearing or hold committee hearings to debate the changes.[5] This part of the process typically happens within 24 hours, preventing public feedback.

Support and opposition

Supporters say that it saves time[6] and is a legislative tool.[1] The procedure can bypass deadlines for introducing new bills.[7]

Critics of "gut and go" say it is designed to minimize transparency and fast track legislation.[6] The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network and the ACLU[8] oppose "gut and go," particularly in passing anti-trans legislation.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Lowry, Bryan. "Kansas lawmakers used secretive maneuver to pass nearly a quarter of laws last year". Kansas City Star.
  2. ^ Kelly, Matthew. "How Kansas GOP used infamous 'gut and go' to avoid public input on bathroom bill".
  3. ^ "As 'placeholder' bills surge in Salem, what you see isn't always what you get". opb. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
  4. ^ CalMatters, Maya C. Miller (2025-08-20). "Republicans Sue to Block Newsom's Gerrymandering, Point to Legislative Gamesmanship | KQED". www.kqed.org. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
  5. ^ Michels, Sarah (2025-12-09). "Gut-amend-release. How NC's translucent lawmaking tactics hurt democracy". Carolina Public Press. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  6. ^ a b "In Kansas, maligned 'gut and go' tactic gets laws enacted". AP News. 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  7. ^ ""Gut-and-Amend": California Legislature had to kill one bill to fix an impending law". FOX40. 2024-07-04. Archived from the original on 2024-09-10. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
  8. ^ "Gut and Go: How a Legislative Shortcut Silences Kansans". ACLU of Kansas. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
  9. ^ Kelly, Matthew. "Kansas lawmakers vote to police bathrooms in public buildings — without comment".
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