Three right-thinking members of the legislature are recommending that more House and Senate votes be recorded, and therefore subject to public review. State Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas), State Rep. Brian McCall (R-Plano), and State Rep. Tony Goolsby (R-Dallas), have filed several pieces of legislation that would mandate more sunlight in the legislative process.
The bills are: HB83 & HJR19 by Branch, HB132 by McCall, and HB108 & HJR77 by Goolsby. Your legislator should be a cosponsor of all of them!
One legislator has worried that “all the time” it takes for recorded votes would rob lawmakers of valuable time schmoozing with constituents who visit the Capitol. That alone may be a good reason to have recorded votes – less schmoozing.
Another legislator said he didn’t want to see any new laws, and then worried that “all the time” recorded votes take would interfere with… passing new laws. Okay, that may be an even better reason.
Why would public servants, controlling a $150 billion budget, be anything but excited about showing us how they vote…?
Simply knowing voters can check up on actions in Austin will be enough to pull some legislators in line. Accountability is a good thing.
