Finally, a legislator with the guts to strike directly at the root of the problem: the People.
Well, not all the people. Just the ones who speak out, who show a lack respect for their elected betters.
In recent years, the Arkansas Legislature has heroically tried to control the chaotic and dangerous excesses of freedom and democracy in the Natural State. Legislators have proposed laws clamping down on citizen petitions, requiring employees to friend their employers on Facebook, outlawing photography in public and … well, you get the picture.
Last November, legislators convinced voters to amend the state constitution to weaken term limits and establish an independent commission (appointed by legislators) to raise their pay 148 percent. How? By astutely telling voters that the amendment would “set term limits,” while saying nothing about the pay hike.
Legislators also cleverly curtailed the citizen initiative process, regulating paid petitioners in ways the state constitution prohibits. But they got a pass on that; the eminent state supreme court has ruled in their favor. Then, unwilling to rest on their laurels, legislators introduced a new bill requiring petition campaigns to conduct costly criminal background checks on their paid petitioners.
One opponent called this deeply thoughtful measure “mean-spirited” and “unnecessary.”
Sen. Jon Woods argued the legislation doesn’t go far enough. He filed Senate Bill 0401, which mandates that any person speaking out in any way not in sync with the legislature must shut up.
“Enough pussy-footing around. Let’s end all this free speech hogwash,” Woods said. “We’re the boss!”
For real?
Unfortunately, everything prior to the previous three paragraphs is 100 percent true. Yup, every day is April Fools’ Day at the Arkansas Legislature.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
5 replies on “Lagniappes à la Legislators”
Very apropos. The sad thing is you can’t even make up a lot of the stuff they’re doing even on April Fools Day.
Did you conveniently forget to mention that these measures are part of the REPUBLIKOOK agenda in Arkansas?
See my comment below. (Even I am still figuring out the new comment system.)
Such a pity. Arkansas is a beautiful state with every type of scenic beauty. It certainly seems though its politics simply get worse. I lived there fora few years hundred years ago…at least it seems like , and have watched from afar the political scandals with disbelief.
JATR4 — First, though not in today’s piece, I have indeed mentioned the GOP role in attacks on term limits and I&R in Arkansas, where some of the worst attacks have come after Republicans took control of the state legislature after more than a century out of office. See links below.
Since the Rs are the majority, they deserve the lion’s share of the blame. However, the machete slashes against the democratic rights of citizens have been thoroughly and consistently bipartisan endeavors.
Most of these stupid bills were passed overwhelmingly with massive support from both R and D legislators – such as the anti-public photography passing 91 – 1 in the House or Issue 3 (phony gift ban + gutting term limits + 150% pay raise) garnering a 71 – 12 (15 hiding) vote in the House and a 23 – 4 (7 hiding) vote in the Senate or the draconian anti‑I&R bill two years ago, SB 821, that passed the House 78 – 9 (13 hiding) and had only a single dissenting vote in the state senate, etc, etc.
http://townhall.com/columnists/pauljacob/2013/04/14/a‑different-path-toward-limited-terms-n1567166/page/full
https://thisiscommonsense.org////2013/04/24/the-natural-state-of-politicians/
http://townhall.com/columnists/pauljacob/2013/03/24/selfwrecking-pols-take-public-out-of-republican-n1547465/page/full
http://townhall.com/columnists/pauljacob/2014/10/19/the-deceivers-n1906989/page/full