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an effort to create searchable online databases for government expenditures
a tool to highlight the hypocrisy of tax hikers
Constitutional or statutory requirement to rein in growth of revenues end expenditures
a commitment made by elected officials and candidates for elected office never to raise taxes
Raising the bar for tax increases
Requiring a cool-off period for all bills with a fiscal impact
pork-barrel spending - the broken windows of the budget
And That's Exactly Why We Need Legislative Waiting Periods
Thursday, March 4, 2010 4:21 PM
Our friends at the Washington Policy Center let us know about a "public" hearing on an income taxx increase bill that was scheduled for this afternoon. Public hearings are good, you might say. But here's the rub:
The hearing, scheduled for 4:30pm is not on the actual bill, but on a substitute bill - meaning: strike and replace. And as of As of 11:45 this morning, the amendment was even not available. Essentially, those appearing last minute for the hearing will have an opportunity to comment on a bill they've never seen.
And this is exactly why mandatory legislative waiting periods are needed, requirements that all bills be posted online for a period of time (ideally no less than five business days) and any substantive amendments - and particularly "strike all" amendments should set back the clock.
Unfortunately Washington State, where some transparency progress had been made in recent years, seems to be sliding back into more opacity.
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