What Libertarians offer NC: Simplicity
Published July 19, 2013
By J.J. Summrell, Chairman of Libertarian Party of North Carolina, News and Observer, July 18, 2013.
As the majority party in the General Assembly, Republicans have the power to pass any legislation, but might does not make right.
Our democratic system of government depends on allowing everyone’s voice to be heard. The majority has the duty, and the responsibility, not only to respect this principle, but also to conduct the legislative process in the open, allowing ample time for public comment and input.
Legislators use misleading and deceptive titles for their bills, and the legislative “process” often lumps unrelated issues into one bill. The process is then made even more of a charade by introducing the bill without prior public notice, pushing it through a committee without a public hearing and with little debate, and rushing it to the House floor.
The firestorm raging around an effort to regulate abortion is a classic example of how a majority abuses its power. Regardless of your position on abortion, there is no defense for the surreptitious and deceitful methods Republicans have employed in an effort to pass the bill.
One wonders why, if Republicans are so firm and confident in their views and believe they have such a clear “public mandate,” that they don’t bring each of these issues forward in separate bills, hold public hearings and then vote? What are they afraid of?
Meanwhile, Republican legislators are negligent in fulfilling perhaps their most important duty: passing a state budget. Oddly enough, they began by ignoring the state constitution, which gives the governor the responsibility to draft a budget. Each house passed its own version, leaving the public with the spectacle of Republicans arguing among themselves over three state budgets proposed by three groups of Republicans.
As a result, for the first time in modern history, the General Assembly failed to pass the state budget by the June 30 deadline. So the state government is now operating on a continuing resolution, and the legislative session drones on debating social issues and tax cuts, while racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional costs to taxpayers.
This is not responsible government, no matter which party is in charge or who holds the majority.
The Libertarian Party of North Carolina believes that bills should be as simple and to the point as possible. They should cover only one topic and be understood by the average voter. Lawmakers should not add on riders or unrelated amendments. Every bill should only be passed after a clear, open and public consideration of the proposed law.
