At 1:30 a.m. today, April 23, the $33 billion operating budget was sent to House members in the Washington State Legislature. The cutoff for amendments was noon, and the vote was this afternoon, giving members just a few hours to read hundreds of pages (so it was even worse than we thought this morning).
Worse, the amendment cutoff for the capital budget was 3 p.m., but the budget was not released to members until 3:25 p.m. That's right, you had to get your amendment in before you actually saw the budget, let alone had a chance to read it.
It used to be that no budget could be voted on for 24 hours following its release. That rule was abolished by the legislature in January. Now budgets are being rammed through without many legislators ever having a serious chance to see it.
This is -- in case you were wondering -- not representative government. Representative government requires that your representative be offered the opportunity to make an informed decision on your behalf.
The length of time between the release of any bill and a vote to approve it must be significant enough to allow the legislators to examine the bill's contents. Anything less violates our federal constitutional right to a republican form of government.
Cross-posted on <pudge/*>.
Posted by pudge at April 24, 2009 05:51 PM | Email ThisNo Legislation without Cogitation!
Of course, since the Delusional Party members can't think, that's not likely to happen.
Oh yeah, China actually CUT taxes to stimulate the economy, and scaled back budgets in some provinces to keep them in the black...
HOPE AND CHANGE!
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on April 24, 2009 11:36 PMOh, sorry, back in January the mainstream media were too busy patting themselves on the back for their role in electing the biggest empty suit in U.S. history.
I'm sure tomorrow's Times editorial page will take Brown & Chopp to task for their antics in Olympia. Right.
Posted by: Disgusted in Florida on April 25, 2009 04:37 AMSince I take exception to so much that's written on SP, and will continue to, sometimes I just like to chime in when I totally agree with the blog entry. I also recognize this as important info I wouldn't get from any of my other regular sources.
So kudos from a leftist.
New Left Conservative # 1
Posted by: new left conservative # 1 on April 25, 2009 09:55 PMCorrupt Democrat Leadership in WA State
By Janis Kristiansen
3:40 pm
Thursday, April 24, 2009
Since NO ONE in the press is going to report this, I will. I just got off the phone with my husband, State Rep. Dan Kristiansen.
In summary, this is what he said.
At the beginning of session this year, the Democrats in control in the House changed the rules and eliminated the 24 hour rule from when the budget is introduced to when it can be voted upon. In the past, the budgets were rolled out for review, and no vote on any budget could happen until at LEAST 24 hours had passed, giving time for the minority party (read Republicans) to review the budget, and make an intelligent vote on it. Not this session. A budget can be introduced and voted upon, all in the same hour, giving the minority party literally no time to read it.
This morning, April 24, three days before the end of session, the Democrats announced that NO amendments to the capitol budget could be introduced (most amendments are offered by the opposing party, usually) after 3 pm today. Guess when the Democrats released the capitol budget today, for the Republicans to get a first review of it? At 3:25pm, 25 minutes after cut-off for any amendments to be offered. So, for the Republicans, NO amendments can be offered because the Democrats released the operating budget for the Republicans to see 25 minutes after the deadline for amendments to be accepted. This is CORRUPT.
The story is not over. The operating budget, separate from the capitol budget, was emailed to the Republicans this morning at 1:30 AM, early in the morning. It is several hundred pages. The Democrats then said NO amendments were going to be allowed to the capitol budget after 12 noon today. So, in the middle of the night the Democrats release the capitol budget, and then announce no amendments are allowed after 12 noon, AND they are voting on this budget this afternoon.
This is the corrupt nature of the Democrats in control. How are Republicans supposed to vote yes or no on these budgets, hundreds of pages long, that spend approximately $34 billion dollars each biennium, when they are given no time to review it, or offer even hurried amendments to it? The Democrats realize they have almost a super majority; so in essence, it's OK to ignore the Republicans during the budget process.
Please email this article to everyone you know in WA. The 5000 people who came to the Tea Party in Olympia, myself included, and who participated in one of the 30 tea parties across our state, need to know this is the level of corruption in the Democrat leadership in the House of Representatives in WA. Rep. Dan said this Operating Budget offered sets our state up for an approximate $10 billion shortfall in the 2011 biennium. This is outrageous! Where is self-restraint? Where is responsibility? Where is the good stewardship of tax payer dollars?
I have been watching what they are doing in Olympia since I was a gubernatorial candidate in 2004 and 2008 and I want to be informed. I also have heard back from my own representatives during the session and what they tell me is what I expected would happen with a one party majority rule. The state majority party is a mirror image of what the Obama adminstration is doing now, but at an advance stage since they have been in power longer than Obama. They would rather dictate to the people their special interest even if it is contrary or unconstitutional to the will of the people through their previous voting on these special interest issues. I hope the people will finally wise up and in 2010 and 2012 Election by removing these "I will decide what you want and can have" represntatives from office and not cave in to their lies and half truths.
Posted by: John W Aiken, Jr on April 26, 2009 06:58 AMI have been watching what they are doing in Olympia since I was a gubernatorial candidate in 2004 and 2008 and I want to be informed. I also have heard back from my own representatives during the session and what they tell me is what I expected would happen with a one party majority rule. The state majority party is a mirror image of what the Obama adminstration is doing now, but at an advance stage since they have been in power longer than Obama. They would rather dictate to the people their special interest even if it is contrary or unconstitutional to the will of the people through their previous voting on these special interest issues. I hope the people will finally wise up and in 2010 and 2012 Election by removing these "I will decide what you want and can have" represntatives from office and not cave in to their lies and half truths.
Posted by: John W Aiken, Jr on April 26, 2009 06:58 AMThey picked the most expensive visduct replacement with no funding, a 520 tolling without enough funding, and Billions in Educatational dreaming totally unfunded.
I am through traveling on 520, I'll take I90, and I'll gladly gather signatures to lower these massive property tax hikes that I see yearly. The so called 1% lid on property taxes Gregoire ran on, is so bogus and untruthful the paper it is written on reaks.
10% Per year is what I am seeing.
See you all at the Tea Parties!
Legislative Transparency Bill
For every sheet of standard paper a bill or amendment occupies, it must be online for a full day before debate can begin. Emergency bills can waive this requirement so long as they're a single sheet and gather the 2/3 vote necessary to be ruled an emergency bill. (How much space can it take to declare a flood disaster or call up the guard? The responders are supposed to be at least nominally independent anyway.)
So: If you're making a random day 'Ken Griffey Day' (or whatever) you're generally going to be able to do it in a speedy fashion. But if you're rewriting DSHS, you'd better learn to be a lot more concise than is the norm.
Posted by: Al on April 26, 2009 10:42 PM"Below is a comment posted on the Sound Politics Blog by Ms Kristiansen (wife of Rep Dan Kristiansen) that describes the final hours in the State House of Rep prior to passage of the Budget Bill. It is on a par with how the US Congress passed the stimulus bill, that is passed without reading it. The Dems performance in Olympia is worse because their corrupt behavior prevented any Republican input."
"Your news article failed to mention any of the shenanigans. Rather you portrayed the Legislators as tired budget warriors who finally completed their work. I grant that the Seattle Times website has detailed information about the budget that provides some context to the final outcome, but your news article was far from critical. This is biased and sometimes disingenuous journalism."
"I copied Mr Birdwell because we have been engaged in a discussion about the bias in new reporting at ST."
"Corrupt Democrat Leadership in WA State
By Janis Kristiansen
3:40 pm
Thursday, April 24, 2009
Since NO ONE in the press is going to report this, I will. I just got off the phone with my husband, State Rep. Dan Kristiansen.
In summary, this is what he said.
At the beginning of session this year, the Democrats in control in the House changed the rules and eliminated the 24 hour rule from when the budget is introduced to when it can be voted upon. In the past, the budgets were rolled out for review, and no vote on any budget could happen until at LEAST 24 hours had passed, giving time for the minority party (read Republicans) to review the budget, and make an intelligent vote on it. Not this session. A budget can be introduced and voted upon, all in the same hour, giving the minority party literally no time to read it.
This morning, April 24, three days before the end of session, the Democrats announced that NO amendments to the capitol budget could be introduced (most amendments are offered by the opposing party, usually) after 3 pm today. Guess when the Democrats released the capitol budget today, for the Republicans to get a first review of it? At 3:25pm, 25 minutes after cut-off for any amendments to be offered. So, for the Republicans, NO amendments can be offered because the Democrats released the operating budget for the Republicans to see 25 minutes after the deadline for amendments to be accepted. This is CORRUPT.
The story is not over. The operating budget, separate from the capitol budget, was emailed to the Republicans this morning at 1:30 AM, early in the morning. It is several hundred pages. The Democrats then said NO amendments were going to be allowed to the capitol budget after 12 noon today. So, in the middle of the night the Democrats release the capitol budget, and then announce no amendments are allowed after 12 noon, AND they are voting on this budget this afternoon.
This is the corrupt nature of the Democrats in control. How are Republicans supposed to vote yes or no on these budgets, hundreds of pages long, that spend approximately $34 billion dollars each biennium, when they are given no time to review it, or offer even hurried amendments to it? The Democrats realize they have almost a super majority; so in essence, it's OK to ignore the Republicans during the budget process.
Please email this article to everyone you know in WA. The 5000 people who came to the Tea Party in Olympia, myself included, and who participated in one of the 30 tea parties across our state, need to know this is the level of corruption in the Democrat leadership in the House of Representatives in WA. Rep. Dan said this Operating Budget offered sets our state up for an approximate $10 billion shortfall in the 2011 biennium. This is outrageous! Where is self-restraint? Where is responsibility? Where is the good stewardship of tax payer dollars?"