LWVMD Statement on Special Session of MD General Assembly
LWVMD STATEMENT ON SPECIAL SESSION
The League of Women Voters has been an active champion of openness in government throughout our history. The organization’s principles include the requisite that “government bodies protect the citizens’ right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed action, holding open meetings and making public records accessible.” Our mission is twofold: to encourage the informed and active participation of the public in government and to advocate on public policy issues based on League principles and positions.
Maryland League members recognize the Governor’s authority to call a special session of the General Assembly to address specific legislative issues, but we can only support such a legislative session to address Maryland’s structural deficit if Maryland citizens have adequate time to study and analyze proposed legislation and to communicate to their Senators and Delegates informed opinions about future revenue sources which will have a profound effect on individual citizens and on the manner in which our state is to provide services to its residents. Additionally, we believe that it is mandatory that the duration of a special session should provide our elected representatives adequate time to thoughtfully consider all ramifications of the proposed legislation that may be put forward, time to receive input from their constituents on this proposed legislation and amendments that may be considered, and time to deliberate openly and fairly the issues.
The League offers the following suggestions to support these goals of an informed public and effective representation:
Proposed legislation should be made available to the public sufficiently in advance of a special session to provide the opportunity for review and study by the public. This includes the posting of the proposed legislation on the General Assembly website and providing those with no internet access the opportunity to have copies mailed to them by the Governor’s office on request. We understand that when it comes to adopting legislation, the devil is frequently in the details. And vague announcements of what might be considered, without sufficient specificity and clarity, are not useful to the public in advocating positions to their elected representatives. There should be an opportunity for public comment or testimony on proposed legislation.
All proceedings at a special session should be accessible to the public. Recognizing the implications of proposals for increased taxes and fees, and the impact of budget cuts, we assume that many representatives from member organizations and citizens who will be affected by the proposals will want to observe the deliberations of our elected representatives during the session. Accommodations should be made in anticipation of this surge of public attendance. For those citizens who cannot be in Annapolis during the special session, additional methods of informing the public of the status of deliberations should be employed, including the utilization of the Maryland General Assembly website and the live broadcasting of all hearings and sessions via that site. We suggest that the fee charged by the state for the “Up-to-the-Minute” service provided by the Maryland Legislative Information Services be waived for the special session.
The length of the special session should be adequate to allow communication between elected officials and their constituents during the session. We understand that proposed legislation is just that – a proposal. It is frequently an opening volley in a complicated process in which accommodations to various groups or legislators are made through negotiation and amendment. Even if members of the public are provided access to the proposed legislation sufficiently prior to the special session, without access to the amendments that may appear overnight or immediately prior to a vote, they will be left without an opportunity to apprise their Senators and Delegates of their opinion on the changes.
League members in Maryland are proud of their long record of participation in the legislative process in our state, as observers, as educators who inform the public about public policy issues, and as citizens who communicate facts and opinions to elected representatives. We will continue this service during any special session that may be called to address the budget deficit, and we will actively encourage all Marylanders to join us. We urge Governor O’Malley and our Senators and Delegates to recognize informed citizen participation as the primary requisite for a successful special session.
Lu Pierson, president