OTHER STATES: Another Rhode Island Article

Another article discusses moving Rhode Island the wrong way towards a full-time legislature. Here are some of the highlights of the article showing the advantages and disadvantages of the move, with some editorialising by The Debunker:

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The advantages of a full-time over a part-time legislature might include:

-- More thoughtful consideration of bills. Too much legislation is now rushed through at the last moment. More time might mean better legislation.

-- Better-organized and more transparent legislative business, which would let the public know more about what's going on in the State House, and perhaps yield fewer last-minute surprises and poorly written, confusing state statutes.

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These are greatest falsehoods in regards to a full-time legislature. It is well known that bills are more lobbyist influenced in that situation and bills are always rushed through or slowed down depending on political considerations regardless of the full-time or part-time status of the legislators. Being well-organized and transparency are equally possible in part-time legislature if the appropriate measures are put in place (such full disclosure and publication of all hearing minutes in full detail.

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On the negative side:

-- A full-time legislature, it is argued, would be out of touch with the general population, because there would be fewer members dealing with people's day-to-day issues, as many part-time legislators do, in their other jobs.

-- Some worry that a full-time legislature would result in too many people seeking permanent legislative jobs. Thus, some suggest, term limits would be needed. (For that matter, given Congress's susceptibility to lobbyists bearing campaign cash, we wonder if term limits shouldn't be revisited for federal legislators.)

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These are two of the biggest faults of all full-time legislatures: they are completely out of touch with only the lobbyists influencing them regularly and they are too cushy for people who spend very little time legislating and a lot of time taking trips with lobbyists or other diversions.