GOP: DEMOCRATS THWART DEMOCRACY

NEW CONFERENCE RULES GIVE COMMITTEE CHAIRS TOTAL POWER TO KILL BILLS

America was founded on the principle of majority rule and minority right. The legislative leadership has decided to change that to chair rule, majority and minority no rights. In a joint memorandum, signed to one week ago, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate have notified the members of the legislature of amended conference committee procedures. The amendment? In order to report a measure out of Conference Committee, all chairs must vote in favor.

The rule perverts the democratic process. A typical conference committee may have ten members. Of the ten, six are representatives with three co-chairs, and four are senators with two co-chairs. Under this amended conference procedure, if only one of the ten members--one of five co-chairs--says "no" to the proposed final version, the measure dies in committee. Already many in the electorate think of the legislature as a joke. But the rule change is no laughing matter.

Everyone has heard of the democratic standard "one person one vote." That too is changed. The new Democrat standard is: "one 'no,' no go!

No longer is the legislature ruled by the tyranny of the majority. Now it's ruled by the tyranny of one. Chairman Mao would have been proud.

The amended conference procedures come from the Senate President and House Speaker without any consultation or input. This is just one more example of top-down aversion to democratic principles. And freedom of expression? Forget about that too. The rules prohibit any ordinary conference committee member from speaking unless authorized to do so by the chair. Since there are no minority chairs, this rule relegates the minority representatives and senators to sitting silently in a corner. Such a rule suppresses open discussion and violates the intent of a public meeting.

These two Democrat un-democratic rules must not be allowed to stand.

(letter attached)

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