2017-08-02
Legislative Reflections I
So, my first
year in the legislature is done - or just about. Some people here
say that serving in the legislature is like being “on call” for 24/7
for six months a year. In some ways that’s true, though that’s
not so bad. It certainly filled the time.
Yet, others ask me
“What was it like?”
No answer really suffices, but these two
are worth a bit of reflection.
1. It’s like a graduate degree
every single day.
2. It’s like a graduate degree every single day
with forays into “The Heart of Darkness.”
That needs a bit of
explanation. The work of learning the protocols, the traditions, and
the expressions is something you just have to experience. There is no real
manual - you just learn by dong.
And you learn by doing when
submitting bills. There is no “learning house” for bills, no stated
set of party agenda items that mandate bill creation. Everyone who
knows the situation or has experience knows what bills need to be
submitted. The well-connected legislator works with others to submit bills
which can get support from either side of the aisle. But that is
also learning by doing, and I won’t forget the advice that it’s
acceptable to submit bills like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what
sticks. Of the 1200 some odd bills this term, only some 200 passed,
and not all of them made it by the Chief Executive’s fluid veto
pen.
And then there is the “Heart of Darkness”
part. I thought or presumed that we all worked in good faith,
that the interests of the people of Maine were the most important
consideration. But there is always an interpretation on what those
things that are good for us mean, and there are always alternative
pathways to get there. Despite all this, I shall never forget the
night of June 30, as the legislature propelled itself toward
shutdown. I shall never forget as the leadership of the opposing
party spoke about an “alternative budget” that would solve the budget
shutdown - and - then claimed that the “new” budget was ready - only
then to say it would be ready in 24-36 hours. All of this was legal
in parliamentary procedural terms; however, it was the lowest form of
political maneuvering that I had ever seen. The state of Maine went into
default. I will not forget this political ploy for a great long
time.
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