From Democracy Rising h/t to the Policy Blog.
The Democrats’ proposals will make it much harder for citizens to know what their government is doing in time to express their opinion either for or against proposed laws. They would repeal reforms adopted with great fanfare just two years ago through the Speaker’s Commission on Legislative Reform. Among dozens of proposals, House Democrats propose to:
* Render meaningless the rule requiring the House to stop session at 11:00 p.m. unless three-fourths of the members vote to continue.
* Repeal the rule allowing citizens and their representatives at least 24 hours to see amendments before voting on them, at least 24 hours to consider bills after their last amendment, and at least 24 hours before a vote on a report by a conference committee. Conference committee reports, such as every budget and the Pay Raise of 2005, are often the most complicated, controversial and important laws proposed in any session. As in the past, the proposal would allow action after as little as six hours.
* Repeal the rule prohibiting the Rules Committee from amending bills after they have been considered by another committee.
Read the full post at Democracy Rising.
So what is the point of reform when you just repeal it a few years later? We, the citizens of Pennsylvania, have a right to know what legislation and amendments are being passed by our elected officials.
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