Senate Republicans’ 5-point plan for more open
and accountable government
- Pass legislation under FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) to define the General Assembly and all its standing and ad hoc committees as “public bodies”.
- Change Senate Rules to do away with the power of a Senate Committee chair to single-handedly kill legislation by preventing public debate (“desk drawer veto”).
- Change Senate Rules to create a deliberative process that guarantees legislation will get a public hearing in committee within a reasonable time frame.
- Post Senate Roll Call votes on the General Assembly website giving the public access to an accounting of individual votes by all Senators.
- Close loopholes to avoid the potential and appearance of conflict inherent in holding dual roles in government, including a prohibition on paid registered lobbyists holding office on state Authorities, Boards, Commissions and statutory Committees
Well, half-assed is probably a bit of hyperbole, I mean it is a step forward. But what happened to provisions to recordings and broadcast the poceedings? Why can Wisconsin , Colorado, and other states get this done (some of them seven years ago) and we can’t?