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Rules, Rates, and Sunshine
posted at 2007-02-28 22:02 | Last modified 2007-11-14 10:38
Hackney's Rules
Speaker Joe Hackney held a press conference today to roll out his proposed changes to House Rules. That might not sound interesting, but it is – because the guy that gets to set the terms of a debate is better than halfway to winning it.
Hackney’s proposed changes include some recommendations from reformers and Republicans, who say the powers given to the Speaker have become too monolithic – like sending “floaters” to committees to make sure a bill does or does not pass, or rushing bills out of committee straight to a floor vote before anyone has a chance to read them, or inserting special policy provisions into the budget whether or not they have anything to do with money. These were all practices former Speaker Jim Black was well known for, but Hackney says he’s ready to get rid of all of them.
Not that Black’s name came up at the podium, of course. When Hackney was asked whether the former speaker’s troubles had any bearing on these changes, Hackney deftly deflected the question. Hear his response here.
What he’s not changing
The speaker’s right to determine what goes on the calendar and when
The right of any or all eight budget chairs (all Dems) to vote on subcommittees, which makes any vote a sure thing if the leadership wants it to be
Rule 6, which pretty much gives the speaker the right to override whatever s/he wants to.
Hackney’s response to his critics was, “Don’t watch what I say, watch what I do.” A lot of folks on both sides of the aisle will be doing precisely that.
Term limits for leaders?
Hackney said he’s not putting term limits for speakers into
the House Rules for a good reason. At the time of the Speaker’s election – the
first vote of the session - the House HAS no rules yet, so making a rule about it would be moot. Arcane, sure, but still true.
Hackney thinks imposing term limits on legislative leadership would require a constitutional amendment, but says he might very well be inclined to support such a move – IF the Senate leadership backs it, too. For the record, they don’t. (Especially Marc Basnight, who’s fond of pointing out he’s in his eighth term as Pro Tem without ever having been indicted for anything.)
What’s next:
Expect an animated debate when the Rules resolution comes up on the
House floor, probably next Tuesday. Expect the GOP to bring amendments for all the changes they wanted but
didn’t get. Then expect those amendments to
fail on a party-line vote. It pays to be the majority.
In other news...
Fight the power
The Utilities Commission today approved one of Duke Power's two applications for new coal-fired power plants in NC. It was a compromise decision that nobody liked. Environment NC opposed both plants - their response is here.
WUNC's Rusty Jacobs had a good story on the issue this morning. If you missed it, it's here.
Graduation rates
State Education leaders today released what may be the state’s first honest accounting of its high school graduation rates. It isn’t pretty. On average, 68% of entering 9th graders get a diploma in four years. The rates are far worse for minority students – 60% of black students, 55% of low income students, and 52% of Latino students. The N&O’s T. Keung Hui and Todd Silberman have the details.
It didn’t take long for Jones St. Republicans to jump on the news. Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger sent out this reaction.
Hackney does windows
Republican backbenchers who’d been sentenced by former
co-speaker Richard Morgan to the dungeon of the Legislative Building
(yes, right across from the Press Room, in case you wondered) now have rooms
with a view.
Speaker Hackney managed to find offices with windows for Reps. Jerry Dockham, John Blust, and Nelson Dollar, all of whom served for years in tiny closets without natural light. When I stopped by Dockham’s new digs next to the coffee room today (which is prime real estate, if you ask me), he was sitting behind his desk in the streaming afternoon sunlight, sporting a pair of shades. Don’t forget the sunscreen, guys.
Comments? Drop me a line.
