Original Article from 'The Commercial Appeal': here
I was troubled by last week's guest column, "Legislators do too much
work in private," by state Sen. Jim Kyle.
The message subtitled on the piece, "Growing trend of closed-door
meetings in the Tennessee legislature favors special interests over the
public interest," could not be further from the truth.
Reading between the lines, the minority leader indicts the practices
of his own caucus. By his own admission, during more than a century of
one-party rule by Democrats in Nashville, "the debate in caucus meetings
proved to be the debate on the legislation."
By fabricating the notion that Republicans must meet in secret and
distribute talking points the way Democrats used to, he attempts to
rationalize the same call for openness in government that he has
historically resisted.
Just because Democrats apparently did business behind closed doors
does not mean that Republicans have perpetuated the practice now that
the majority has shifted. We typically announce our caucus meetings in
advance. I recall the press attending some of them since 2008 -- the
year the minority leader says everything changed.
The change he truly laments is that Democrats are no longer in
charge. He implies that something untoward must be going on behind
closed doors because he can no longer advance an agenda that the
majority of Tennesseans no longer embrace.
On the contrary, the bulk of our work is done in the standing
committees of the Senate. Committee meetings are not only open to the
public, but are now video-streamed and even archived on the new
legislative website launched by Republicans (capitol.tn.gov). We even won the "Online
Democracy Award" for the open government changes implemented since
2008.
Witness the 2008 public hearings and caucus meetings held throughout
the interview and selection process for electing the secretary of
State, comptroller and treasurer for the first time in Tennessee
history.
In short, there are often lively debates and disagreements in public
Senate committee meetings. In fact, the minority leader too frequently
complains when we take whatever time is necessary to parse important
issues in committee. His impatience, if not intransigence, is well
known, and he is often the first to "call the question" in an effort to
stifle debate.
He is critical of the media for not providing better coverage. I
cannot disagree. Ever read about the minority leader's failed attempt to
slip public funding for a baseball franchise into this year's budget?
Ever read about the forced apology in committee the night the budget
was re-referred to the Finance Committee to ferret out the
misrepresentation on the Senate floor?
Better yet, have you learned about recent Finance Committee meetings
revealing that the Bredesen administration has been unable to close the
state's books or even audit them for more than a year?
Within the past few weeks alone, another committee was told by the
state comptroller that, for having failed to do so, the state is not in
compliance with the law. Just last week, it was also revealed that the
state's insurance reserve fund has inadvertently been overdrawn by
administration officials by $45 million due to an error that could have
been avoided had the books been properly closed.
Don't be surprised when a supplemental appropriations request to
cover the overdraft hits the next January.
The minority leader doesn't write about reality. Perhaps he is simply
frustrated that, relegated to minority status, it is increasingly
difficult to get others to "take the bait" he so frequently throws.
It is hard enough to serve in the minority without deluding oneself
that, but for a shortage of Democrats, his perspective might be more
relevant. Fabrication does nothing to advance his cause.
Mark Norris of Collierville is the state Senate Republican
leader.
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