*Cross-posted from ReformNY
Last week, I spoke at a gathering of state legislators from around the country about post-election audits.
Before
I spoke, I had lunch with a bunch of legislators and staff from various
Statehouses (including, from what I remember, Connecticut, Nebraska,
and Louisiana). Nebraska Senator Bill Avery
told a story about how one of his legislature’s committees had recently
voted on a bill he’d introduced. Just before the vote, the Committee
chair had said “I hate this stupid bill, ” and it was promptly defeated
by a 9–1 vote (with Senator Avery being the one “yes” vote).
”Wait," I said, “your Committee chair held a vote on a bill that he hated?”
Yes, of course, it was required, the Senator replied.
“And did you have a hearing on the bill beforehand?”
Again, of course—it was required.
The others at the table looked at me as if I was a fool. I had to explain I was from New York —
where hearings and votes are basically held at the discretion of a
Committee Chair (and her chamber’s leader). Of course, I already knew
New York did things differently.
But it was nonetheless striking to see so many from statehouses in
other parts of the country assume that votes and hearings on bills
would happen in any state legislative body, as a matter of course.