Regarding your July 18 editorial "Joe says no": The same day House Speaker Joe Hackney handed down his decision to hinder a citizen's right to access to public records, his counterpart, Senator Majority Leader Tony Rand, refused to allow HB 2367, Annexation Moratorium, to reach the Senate floor. Rand took this action despite the bill's being passed by an overwhelming majority in the House and despite 33 of his fellow senators' requesting that he allow this bill to proceed.

Rand said that the bill did not meet the "rules" to be considered in this short session as it is from a House select committee.

At best, that is a smokescreen.

The rules do allow it. In fact, Senate Joint Resolution 1573 (2007) specifically stated that bills implementing the resolutions of study commissions and select committees may be heard. An example of a bill from a House select committee that was ratified by the Senate and awaits Easley's signature is HB 2188.

What we have in North Carolina is a badly broken legislative system, where two men dictate policies that favor special interests like the N.C. League of Municipalities and that ignore the best interests of our citizens.

Doug Aitken

President, Fair Annexation Coalition; Citizen Member, House Select Committee on Municipal Annexation, Pinehurst