Posted on 09/01/2010 7:06:53 AM PDT by MichCapCon
Two GOP state representatives say they are routinely asked to vote on bills that they haven't had a chance to read, a practice they say they want to stop.
Reps. Justin Amash, R-Cascade, and Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, co-sponsored a joint resolution requiring a 72-hour review period before any bill can be put up for a vote.
"It happens all the time," said Rep. Dave Agema, R-Grandville, of the policy of quick votes with no time to read the legislation. "Everybody is looking at themselves and thinking, 'What in the world is this?' "
The bill requiring a three-day waiting period comes in the wake of the passing of House Bill 5872 last week, which involved allocating $312 million of the federal stimulus plan.
Amash said the Democrat-controlled House introduced the bill and then substituted a different version of it on the floor that was eight pages. The bill passed 90-14 Aug. 25. Agema, Amash and McMillin all voted "no."
"They threw it up and gave us no time to read it," Amash said...
(Excerpt) Read more at michigancapitolconfidential.com ...
MI ping
A 72 hour waiting period. I love it.
The don’t write bills and they don’t read bills. All they do is try to sell the bills that are handed to them.
Sounds to me like these guys would be better off selling used cars off a lot somewhere.
Don’t just read them. Determine what they mean.
Every bill that comes up for a vote in any legislature, be it state or federal, should be read aloud on the floor of said body with the full membership of that body present. Even if it means having to split the text of the bill among everyone in the chamber to read it.
Agreed. Especially in this age of video WE THE PEOPLE can listen to the readings, too, and judge for ourselves what to say to our representatives BEFORE they vote.
Vote 'NO' on any bill that you haven't had time to read.
Here’s a better idea, morons. Simply vote “no” on every bill you haven’t read.
Gee, what a concept!
I like the idea someone had of reading every bill aloud, on the floor. Additionally, I’d say: If you weren’t present for the reading, you can’t vote on it.
That would have the added benefit of making bills considerably shorter.
Not only should it be read aloud, but it should be read and defended by the sponsors ... like defending a thesis to get a degree. They read it out and take questions on each section. And, I would add that the bill must cite the clause in the Constitution that gives them the authority to enact the legislation.
Also, I agree, haven’t read it? Then the vote must be NO.
The Laws passed by Congress should be written in language that the average HighSchool graduate should be able to understand.
They use purposefully obtuse language to build loopholes...
What the hell????? Of course they need read and understood, the Public needs to understand what is going on as well.
Put them on-line for 5 days b4 a vote.
My procedure
1. the legislator must write the entire bill by himself with no outside input from attorneys, union reps, or coroprate CEOs.
2. The bill will be posted online in its entirety a full two weeks before the bill is due to be voted on.
3. The FINAL bill will be read aloud on the house or senate floor with no chance of procedural add ons or riders.
4. There will be no less than 1 hour of debate on any bill reguardless of who introduces it or who holds the majority.
Better yet, we need a constitutional amendment limiting the length of bills to 50, 8 1/2” X 11” single side pages of double spaced 12 point font wording. Furthermore, each bill shall cover only one topic and a title describing the contents. All amendments must pertain to the contents of the bill.
I love your procedure but would settle, for now, just to get the d@mn things read out loud. One step at a time.
Let’s make them wait the same amount of time that we have to wait to buy a handgun.
After all, legislation does far more damage than a law abiding citizen buying a handgun can do.
“Don’t just read them. Determine what they mean.”
Sick.
And maybe they could try thinking through the consequences ... sometimes for generations. Asshats. I wish I had a job where what I do and the course I plot for a company goes terribly wrong and plunges us into chaos, I can then turn around and say “but you made me go into production without sales projections.”
See why it might be handy to have someone who has run a business in the government? See, the palnns and the projections are supposed to come FIRST ...
Cripes.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.