Wyoming Constitution; Article 1, Section 21...The right of petition,and of the people peaceably to assemble to consult for the common good, and to make known their opinions, shall never be denied or abridged.

 

 

 

February 8, 2005

 

 

            What is that sound? Chop-chop. What is that sound?? Chop-chop!!

 

            That is the sound of bills getting the ax in the legislature silly! Yesterday was the deadline for bills which had passed out of a committee to be considered in their house of origin, and if they were not heard on the floor for the first time, they are almost certainly gone for this year.

 

            This is where the power of the leadership comes to play. The House had 71 bills on the list (general file in the lingo of the legislature), and 26 got the ax. The final decision on this decision rests with the Majority Floor Leader, who in the House is the Honorable Roy Cohee of Casper. In the near future I will post a list of those bills that were not worthy, although that is something else the legislative website could add.

 

            In the Senate, there were 23 bills on General File, and 8 were flushed. The Honorable Senator John Schiffer has the power in the Senate.

 

            This is an opportunity for the leadership to punish boat rockers and malcontents, if they so desire. And of course I had the honor of being the target of such treatment on a number of occasions!

 

            Two years ago, three of my bills passed out of committee and were waiting to be heard on the floor. The three bills were: medical marijuana, restoration of voting rights for non-violent felons, and a bill to take power away from prosecutors and restore it to the judges from whence it was wrested 20 years ago.

 

            Then Majority Floor Leader, and now Senate President, Grant Larsen decided that four bills would get the death penalty. Two out of the four were mine!! Certainly that must have been some sort of a legislative record. I wonder if there was any bias in that decision?

 

            But that is how the status quo is maintained within the Legislature. The traditional thinkers run the show, so they control the agenda. It matters not that a significant percentage of Wyoming citizens are in favor of the idea of medical marijuana, as evidenced by the two polls that I know of on this issue; one person can curtail legislative discussion on the topic.

 

            I realize life is not fair, but shouldn’t the government be as fair as possible? There are alternative legislative rules that would alleviate some of that unilateral power, but they have not gained any ground. 

 

            My second guest column in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle was published yesterday; if you would like to read it, go to…..

 

http://www.citizengoodenough.com/wte;2-7-05.htm

 

Hasta luego,

 

Keith