Couldn’t agree with you more, Kate! It’s shocking how common it is for good bills with widespread support from the public and the majority of legislators, often with no fiscal impact, to be heard in committee year after year and never allowed to come up for a vote. Thank you for making this point so well!
I mostly agree with Kate, legislative leadership does muck up the process considerably. But I also like that legislators do not vote on a bill at the hearing as it takes time and concentration to write legislation and amending bills in a short time after a hearing makes it likely that mistakes will be made. I want committees to do a deliberate run through of a bill with proper language for amendments fully fleshed out in advance for a second committee discussion and vote.
Yes, I agree - thanks, Greg! The committee should not vote on the bill the same day as the hearing. They should review the testimony, and consider the input received. Then, they should convene a deliberative session to review the language and consider proposed amendments before recommending that it ought to pass, ought to pass with amendment, ought not to pass, or to be held for further (real) study. The recommendation would be forwarded to the full chamber. Democracy with due diligence.
Thank you for this making this incredibly necessary and overdue case so forcefully and concisely.
No wonder we score 49th place. This is NOT democracy; it is autocracy.
Couldn’t agree with you more, Kate! It’s shocking how common it is for good bills with widespread support from the public and the majority of legislators, often with no fiscal impact, to be heard in committee year after year and never allowed to come up for a vote. Thank you for making this point so well!
I mostly agree with Kate, legislative leadership does muck up the process considerably. But I also like that legislators do not vote on a bill at the hearing as it takes time and concentration to write legislation and amending bills in a short time after a hearing makes it likely that mistakes will be made. I want committees to do a deliberate run through of a bill with proper language for amendments fully fleshed out in advance for a second committee discussion and vote.
Yes, I agree - thanks, Greg! The committee should not vote on the bill the same day as the hearing. They should review the testimony, and consider the input received. Then, they should convene a deliberative session to review the language and consider proposed amendments before recommending that it ought to pass, ought to pass with amendment, ought not to pass, or to be held for further (real) study. The recommendation would be forwarded to the full chamber. Democracy with due diligence.