| Just as an "FYI" for those who are following the Legislature, but not sure what the parliamentary hoorah is all about…
Tomorrow the House will consider a suspension of the Constitution. This is a traditional vote taken to speed up the process of being able to "get to business" which really just means being able to vote on bills on the floor.
The framers of the Constitution probably never thought we'd be dealing with 6000+ bills and resolutions each session so they set out a leisurely pace. Thirty days of filing, thirty days of committee meetings, and then the rest of the session for floor action. The only bills that can be voted on during this first sixty day are emergency appropriations and things the Governor makes an "emergency" through a proclamation. (Mind you that the definition of emergency is in the eye of be beholder and/or the lobby).
Keep in mind that even with this suspension, little floor action ever happens in the first sixty days anyway. Moreover, the Speaker and Calendars committee strangle the Calendar on purpose (not just this one, but all Speakers and Calendar Commitees since the beginning of time). When the Calendar gets backed up and there is little time, then it's no longer the Calendars Committee that is killing the bills…it's the "process and the clock".
Damn clock has killed more member's legislation than any other thing in history. Only thing folks forget: all of this is planned for a train wreck on purpose. Those who control the clock, control the process, and thereby control the agenda and outcome.
At the same time, a jammed agenda can kill a lot of bad legislation, too. When you take time to deal with Appropriations, Sunset Bills, and the high profile stuff, it leaves few slots for run of the mill bills by Joe Bob Legislator. And in this House, good guy legislation won't get set from the git-go, so clogging the Calendar in a broad brush sense kills lots of bad policy. There is an argument for playing the leadership's game against them.
Tuesday's vote takes 120 firm votes meaning that 120 people must be in their chairs pushing a green button. Conversely, 30+ red lights and/or absent members will keep non-emergency bills from hitting the floor until the 60th day.
So this is what the debate is about: Whether to reign in bad legislation by thirty members beginning the process of clogging the Calendar now. This argument says shaving a month's floor action off this agenda might be a good thing.
And as someone said in another post, "Let the Governor put a very public "emergency" stamp on the lobby and right wing agenda. Guarantees that they get to take ownership of it if they have to create an emergency to get it to the floor.
What's your opinion? Comment and vote. |
