TO THE EDITOR: 

 

The recent Senate Republican Policy Committee hearing (August 1, 2006) on a Republican bill to reduce the size of the General Assembly was a lesson in partisan rhetoric and pre-election spin.

 

As Democratic Whip, I introduced Senate Bill 579 co-sponsored by Democratic Senators Costa, LaValle, Logan, and Boscola in May, 2005 to reduce the Senate to 40 and the House of Representatives to 121 -- five months before Senator Pippy introduced Senate Bill 890, which was the subject of the Republican Policy Committee hearing.  This is just one of many Democratic proposals to effect real reform:  from improving accountability, generating public access to information, and fostering more input from citizens (SBs 102, 103, 104).

 

            The Republicans are in the majority in the Senate and the House.  They control the committee system and they decide if bills come out of committee to the floor for consideration.  The fact is, if they were serious about cutting the size of the General Assembly, the Senate State Government Committee -- where both my bill and Senator Pippy’s bill are lodged -- would have already acted to report either my bill or Senator Pippy’s bill to the full Senate for a vote. 

 

Instead, the GOP takes their partisan policy committee on a dog and pony show and an already cynical public is treated to yet another example of politics as usual.  What a shame. 

 

                                                 Sincerely,

  

                                                 Michael A. O’Pake

                                                 Senator – 11^th District
                                                 Democratic Whip