I’m glad State Rep. David Hawk likes his job and all but I think this is a spectacularly bad idea:
The Tennessee legislature has been quite efficient in recent years, according to State Rep. David Hawk.
Hawk, R-5th, of Greeneville, said for the past three years, legislators, who convene each year in January to begin their legislative session, have completed budgetary duties by the end of April. But lawmakers’ quick work in hashing out the state’s finances has “inadvertently weakened” the state’s legislative branch of government for the remaining seven to eight months of the year, Hawk said.
“While the legislature is in session from January through April, I feel that we are an equal third branch of government,” he said. “But for the other eight months of the calendar year, I feel like all we can do or say is, ‘Wait until we get back into session in January.’ We’re living in such a fast-paced world now where issues can arise quickly, or when we leave issues hanging over from a prior session, I feel our constituents deserve better from the body that is supposed to be the people’s voice in Tennessee.”
To alleviate this concern and allow lawmakers to address issues that may arise after the legislative session has ended in April, Hawk said he intends to introduce legislation that would create a September legislative session.
No. Nooooooooo. Let me repeat: NOOOOOO.
What a crock. If the Legislature is so efficient, why do you need an extra session? Hawk says the regular legislative session is focused primarily on the state budget;
[…] a September session would allow lawmakers to focus more on creating new state policies.
Oh. So apparently there isn’t enough time for gay bashing, ‘bortion hating, and Planned Parenthood defunding? So maybe you aren’t as efficient as you think? Even better, Hawk only wants to do this in odd-numbered years so the extra session doesn’t interfere with legislative members’ campaigning. Priorities!
But here’s the best part:
“My hope is that there is no financial obligation associated with this,” he said.
Hilarious! So everyone will work for free. No per diems, no costs, no nothing. Dream on!
Personally, I think you guys have more than enough time to inflict your damage on the state. There is absolutely nothing that comes up over the summer and fall that is so urgent it requires immediate state legislative action.
I’m sure Hawk and the others were unhappy they couldn’t grandstand over the Kim Davis affair, the bogus Planned Parenthood videos, the mass shootings on college campuses. So hard to sit on the sidelines while these hot-button issues flare up on social media and then disappear, and our legislature never got to say a word about it! Aww. Too bad.
