The case for preventing bill blocking

NJ Senate President

 

The case for changing the rules in New Jersey that would prevent the Senate President or Assembly Speaker from preventing bills from going to a committee for consideration is what I am going to talk about. Did you know that the Senate President or Assembly Speaker could kill a bill for any reason? Well it is a fact and it needs to change!

 

While in many cases bills are passed on for consideration there are many that are killed by either the Senate President or the Assembly Speaker. Either of them can do this and there is no way to get around them if one of them do not want a bill to be released. It is a fact that it takes their approval for a bill to be released to a Senate or General Assembly committee.

 

In other words a bill could die because the person(s) sponsoring it are not liked or are of the wrong party or just do not have the political clout to get it past these doorkeepers. Somehow it just seems to me that this system is totally wrong and if it is not changed things will just get worse in our state.

 

What I propose is that instead of having the Senate President or the Assembly Speaker act as the ones who decide which bill get passed on to committee, a proposed bill should instead be put up before a special committee. This committee would be composed of three legislators of each party, for a total of six with one of the group being elected as their chairperson. With a special committee in both houses handling what bill gets passed on, there would no longer be a partisan roadblock nor would it be held up by only one person.

 

Now does anyone really think such an idea has any real chance of becoming part of New Jersey’s Constitution? I know that it is a great idea and yet realize that it would have to pass both the General Assembly and the Senate, and then be voted upon by the people of New Jersey before it would become part of our constitution.

 

There is no way in heaven or hell that the Assembly Speaker or Senate President would allow such a bill to get anywhere near their respective houses. To do so would dilute their powers and no sane politician would allow this to happen.

 

What has to happen is that we need is the power granted in many states that allows the people of the state to propose laws. This is called Initiative and Referendum; something that has been promised by the Republicans in the past and never acted upon. And the politicians will never allow that to happen either. Hmm… sounds like circle logic is in play. I need this to happen for that to come true and visa versa. Oh well it sounded too good to become true anyway.

 

Maybe some day we will get Initiative and Referendum and then my idea could become law. Until then the bill process will continue on its merry unfair way.

 

That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike

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