House Republicans Want To Revamp Legislative Process

By Susan Haigh Associated Press

HARTFORD –– Saying the public is being locked out of the legislative process, Republicans in the state House of Representatives are proposing major changes in the way the General Assembly conducts its business.

House Minority Leader Robert Ward, R-North Branford, announced a ten-point proposal Wednesday that he says will open up the legislative process and make the General Assembly more accountable.

Last year’s protracted budget battle proves the existing system is broken, Mr Ward said.

“Our citizens don’t want their legislators working in the dark,” Mr Ward said. “We know the process is broken and we pledge to fix it.”

Democrats currently control the General Assembly.

Mr Ward said the legislature has not conducted its business in an open, deliberative way. Major pieces of legislation, including the budget, have been negotiated behind closed doors, late at night, without public scrutiny, he said. The legislature’s committees have been frozen out of the process, Mr Ward said.

“If it can’t stand the light of day, then it shouldn’t become policy in the State of Connecticut,” he said.

The House Republican proposal calls for a ban on debates after midnight, allowing citizens to send testimony on bills by email, allowing the public and media to attend budget negotiations, and experimenting with video technology that would allow interactive public hearings across the state.

The plan also calls for making emergency-certified bills –– legislation that is supposed to address emergencies and typically skirts the usual legislative process –– available to the public online, 72 hours before the General Assembly votes.

Republicans also want to consolidate similar legislative committees. The Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee would be combined with the Appropriations Committee, creating a Ways and Means Committee similar to the congressional panel, Mr Ward said.

Senate President Pro Tem Kevin Sullivan, D-West Hartford, said he supports some of the Republicans’ ideas. Mr Sullivan said, however, that the existing legislative rules work, when they are followed.

Mr Sullivan said the legislature’s committees, not legislative leaders, need to make more decisions on key bills. He said too many bills are being passed along without being fully vetted.

“I think there has been a history of erosion of committee power,” Mr Sullivan said. “I have no particular love for sitting in a room, day after day after day, night after night after night, trying to work out every detail of a particular piece of legislation.”

Mr Sullivan said the legislature likely will not take up any changes to its rules until 2005.

Speaker of the House Moira Lyons, D-Stamford, said she disagrees with the Republicans’ proposal to open budget talks to the public and media. Ms Lyons said the legislative leaders and staff should be able to bring up potentially controversial proposals and ideas for discussion without being on the record.

“You shouldn’t feel hesitant to offer suggestions for fear there will be big headlines,” she said.