2018-04-20 -
Weekly Update -
What’s to
report?
There’s actually lots to report, and maybe more for
commentary.
Technically, the legislative session is at an
end.
We will return for at least one “Veto” Day.
But the way
we got there is a far more complex story than most people want to read -
or understand.
On Wednesday, the last day of session, there
remained a great deal of work to do, many bills to address, much
legislation to discuss. We did need the five days of extension to
finish that work - an extension already approved by the Senate.
The
Republican minority in the House, however, did not approve of the ways in
which various bills were being introduced or prioritized, and when the
vote to extend the session was brought before the house, the
Republicans - with the exception of two Republican representatives
voted to end the session. It does require a two-thirds majority to
continue session, and there was no way the House would reach that
level.
Acrimonious and recriminatory statements followed.
Obfuscation ruled the day. Several bills were moved to an indefinite
postponement, and several bills were moved to a later consideration
pending the veto or special session arrangement. It was not pretty,
and it was hardly civil.
In my short stay in the Maine
Legislature, this is the second time that I have seen last minute
wrangling and less than foursquare maneuvering by some of my
colleagues. It was certainly not collegial. While the
opposition railed against an “inequality” in political processes, they
fundamentally failed to realize that we in America do believe in
“majority rule.” The answer to finding authority in politics
lies in getting elected.
We wait for communication from
leadership, and as a person who wants to get the job done for the office
to which I was elected, I hope that we can return to finish things up.
In the interim, I’m headed for the garden.