House Republicans want to make sure that Democrats don't film their sit-ins

WASHINGTON  — House Republicans are aiming to ensure there's no repeat of a Democratic sit-in last summer over gun control.

GOP leaders are planning a vote on a set of rules changes when Congress convenes in January. The new rules include fines for members who use electronic devices to take pictures or video from the House floor.

The proposal comes six months after Democrats live-streamed a sit-in on the House floor last June to demand gun-control votes. Republicans shut off the cameras in the House gallery throughout most of the protest, but Democrats used their cellphones to capture video that was broadcast on C-SPAN.

Fines would be paid from the salaries of offending lawmakers. The new rules would not be retroactive, so lawmakers who participated in the sit-in won't be penalized.