Dec 03 2008
More Roll Call Voting By House
The House voted 77-34 for the change but spent three hours debating it during what is typically a routine organizational day in the chamber. Opponents argued that portions of the rule change were unconstitutional and characterized it as a power play by leadership to avoid true transparency because too many actions are exempt.
South Policy Council President Ashley Landess said in a statement: “They scammed the public by pretending to pass transparency; they didn’t, and no responsible elected official should go home and say otherwise.”
The Policy Council, a conservative think tank, first raised the issue in August and revealed in a later study that the state Legislature is one of nine in the country that fail to record how individual legislators vote on every bill that becomes law.
I agree with Landess. They are trying to throw a bone to the people to satisfy their grumblings, but there will still be the man behind the curtain doling out gifts with our money. Make every vote recorded! What’s the problem with that? What is the legislature afraid the people might find out?
