Rushed votes can produce bad laws

It is a not-so-glorious tradition practiced for many years by Democrats when they controlled the General Assembly. Dilly-dally for months, drag out the legislative session and, then, in the final hours, rush through legislation you’d just as soon not get much scrutiny from special interests or the public.

Congratulations, Republican leaders of the General Assembly. You’ve done a dead-on impersonation of what you’ve long claimed were Democratic abuses of power.

Consider this little story of the final hours before adjournment in the state House: An education proposal comes up, and a Department of Public Instruction official is asked to comment. But she had to ask for a copy of the proposal and for five minutes to read it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said at one point.

Then there was a measure to restrict powers of local governments. A bill to bar local governments from passing ordinances banning discrimination and requiring a living wage was moved along by Wake Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam and Sen. Chad Barefoot with virtually no public notice. Fortunately, it failed.

Even their fellow Republican Rep. John Blust of Greensboro criticized the process. Blust rightly said the maneuver would set a precedent. “Someday,” he said, “it’s going to be something that you think is horrible, that you think someone else is doing the wrong way, and you’ll feel helpless to prevent it.”

Also flummoxed in the rush: a bill removing a cap on state funding for light rail projects. Lawmakers agreed the cap, which would have killed a project in Orange and Durham counties, should be removed from the state budget. The House acted, but the lifting of the cap was put in a Senate committee. It can be acted upon during next year’s short session.

Jane Pinsky of the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform says it would be no hindrance for the legislature to require bills to be posted online 24 hours before a vote. Lawmakers could do business in a timely fashion rather than go on to the early morning hours when mischief is more likely to happen.

Yes, the image of members of the General Assembly tossing footballs and playing music to pass the time until negotiators quickly order up a vote isn’t exactly what North Carolinians have in mind for the mission of their elected representatives.

Doing the public’s business in a hurry, particularly when laws that affect people’s lives are involved, is a bad idea, and it can lead to really bad laws.

This story was originally published October 6, 2015 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Rushed votes can produce bad laws."