Reflection from a First Year Legislator
Thursday, May 14th, 2009It is Sunday night, less than 24 hours since the House adjourned. By the time you get this, any information I have to share about last week will be stale. Instead of content on the final decisions in the Legislature, I thought I would take a moment to share a few observations from the perspective of a first year legislator. Here are a few:
THE FLOOR: The floor of the house is where all the theatrics take place. Opportunities for great sound bites abound and the presence of VPR streaming is irresistible for some. The rules of the House keep us in order for the most part, allowing all voices to be heard and keeping the speeches relevant. For me, the first time I spoke on the floor, I had my 2-sentence introduction written out and was worried about making a mistake. Friday night, I presented the Senate amendment to the compost bill, survived a difficult interrogation, added an amendment and got the bill through on a unanimous vote. It felt like growth.
THE COMMITTEE ROOM: The serious work of the House happens in the committee room. For most committees, we drop our partisan politics at the door, roll up our sleeves and get to the work at hand. Some committees are focused on finances while others spend more time on policy. Each bill begins with a problem and makes a stab at a solution. Through testimony from stakeholders, experts and state agencies, we either refine the bill, seek more testimony, decide to drop it, or set it aside for another time. “This is just a simple bill,” we laugh, knowing there is no such thing. Of the thirty bills coming into our committee, twenty were discussed and twelve were voted out. Eleven of these bills received unanimous bipartisan support. The twelfth had only one dissenting vote. I find the committee process fascinating and have developed a deep respect for the committee process.
THE PARTIES: The camaraderie between parties is far greater than reported in the press. When I survived that difficult interrogation, I got notes of congratulations from four Republicans signing it, “your buddies in Agriculture.” I found if I wanted a real perspective on what was happening in committees, it helped to have reliable contacts across parties. Although my vote usually aligned with the recommendation of the committee, I appreciated hearing about the process to get there. Most of the questions I asked had indeed been addressed in committee.
At the closing on Saturday night, the minority leader, reminded us of the need for more than one party. “It is the majority’s job to guide the ship,” she said, “and the minority’s job to point out the rocks.” On this, I do agree.
As a final note, I want to thank Joan Lenes for her considerable help this first year. From logistics, to introductions, to explaining background, she has been a great resource and mentor. I plan to be around most of the summer and will continue to do my best to get back to anyone who contacts me.
