California: Officials push 'gut and amend' bills in face of recall

Contra Costa Times ^ | August 31, 2003 | Ed Fletcher

[John Jorsett]

Within hours of the close of the 1999 legislative year, the Democrat-controlled Legislature took a sleepy bill regulating political committees and morphed it into a controversial bill virtually outlawing construction of grocery-selling "big box" retail stores such as Wal-Mart and Costco.

The maneuver, called a "gut and amend" by Capitol insiders, keeps most outsiders away from the action. Critics complain such last-minute maneuvers give interested parties little chance to scrutinize such bills, and the public little chance to weigh in.

"It makes a mockery of the entire legislative process," said Jim Knox, executive director of California Common Cause.

The question this year, however, is not whether lawmakers will try to make similar moves to shortcut the process, but whether they will set a new record for the practice.

[BenLurkin]

"It makes a mockery of the entire legislative process,"

>This is exactly what the democrat party has become dedicated to doing: destroying the legislative process.
>You see it in Texas and you see it in California.
> Our Republic is in great peril uintil the democrat party has been permanently forced out of power.

[.38sw]

Senate President Pro Tem John Burton said the process is "as old as the Capitol."

Oh. Well. It's been around a long time. So.....that makes it OK then?

What a bunch of scheming, greedy, dishonest traitors.

[okie01]

> Our Republic is in great peril uintil the democrat party has been permanently forced out of power.

That it is. But this is what happens when any party has a lock on power for too long a period. They become corrupt, arrogantly so.

Given thirty uninterrupted years in power, the GOP would be no better. Competition in politics is every bit as beneficial as competition in commerce.

All very high sounding...but, in the meantime, the 'Rats need to be squashed like a bug.

[DoctorZIn]

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[CyberAnt]

Wow! I couldn't agree more!

The dems have so perverted the rule of law in America, the democrat party has to be permanently forced out of power.

[.38sw]

This needs a bttt. It's important that more people know what is going on in Sacramento, and make sure that our elected "representatives" know we know - and that we won't stand for it.