2006-02-22

Why we need a part time legislature

The WA state legislature has too much time on their hands. And rather than just making silly speeches, they are using the state budget to play practical jokes on one another.

Budgets Battles over Bells:

Fraser and other senators, whose country-club voice votes echo softly in their quiet chamber, have taken sarcastic offense to the House's raucous voting style. So, in jest, Fraser appropriated an $850,000 study to acoustically insulate the House chamber to stop the bell from "disturbing the decorum of the Senate."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I have to agree. and not just becuase of the practical jokes. At some point we have enough laws, enough regulations, and enough porkbellied appropriations that we really don't need people worrying about what they can think up next in legislature.

I think we need a 2 year term where it is required that every 1 new law enacted must be accompanied by 2 laws retracted. And each spending appropriation accompanied by two outdated and under utilized programs being cut!

I am not as libertarian as it sounds...just after a couple hundred years of nothing but making laws, its time to trim a few back.