Annual Sessions? Bring ‘Em On!
Much wringing of hands about annual sessions for the Arkansas legislature among the chattering classes, who can’t believe that this is actually gonna happen. But it’s true: Voters approved the constitutional amendment for annual sessions last Tuesday. This Arkansas News Bureau story from crack reporter Rob Moritz rounds up reaction from various legislators who were for and against.
It’s worth noting that the “This Is a Bad Idea Caucus” crosses ideological lines: From the left, the inimitable Max Brantley at the Arkansas Times blog has been disapproving of what he terms “the permanent legislature,” while over here on the right, the Arkansas Project’s own Rep. Dan Greenberg was a vocal critic of the proposal in the weeks leading up to the election.
But I have decided that The Arkansas Project will not be joining this short-sighted chorus of negativity. With annual sessions, there will be twice as many opportunities for scandal, corruption, foolishness, baseless rumors, scurrilous gossip, frivolity and, in general, all those things that are the lifeblood of blogs like this. So I say, let’s embrace this brave new world of annual sessions and the many, many opportunities it will no doubt present to us. Forward ho!
I guess I’ll have to be the first to stand up and say I have talked to constituents in my area and they felt that annual session made more sense than projecting a state budget for two years out in today’s economy. These folks weren’t duped by a ballot title as some would say. They fully understood what the initiative entailed and understood that, yes, there is a cost associated with a limited second session. It seems they made a decison made on sound judgement contrary to what all of the nay-sayers and hand wringing folks are trying to spin out there. I give the citizens of Arkansas more credit than some and am pleased that a huge majority weren’t influenced by lobby groups and the press.