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Senate Republican Leader Charlie Copeland (R-West Farms) and Senator
Colin Bonini (R-Dover South) today called on House Democrats to rethink
their unanimous partisan vote to block advance notice to the public of the
contents of the state's annual operating and capital budget bills.
Copeland and Bonini are the two Senate Sponsors of HB4 written to
require the annual Budget and Bond Bills to be introduced at least five
and three legislative days, respectively, before the June 30 end of
legislative session. HB 4 was defeated on January 25 by the House of
Representatives, as the 18 House Democrats voted unanimously to defeat the
bill.
Minority Leader Copeland said "We were incredulous when we
learned of the House vote on this open government bill. House Republican
Leadership has said they will work to revive HB 4 and secure the votes for
passage. I look forward to working with the Senate Democrat Leadership to
pass this bill in the Senate and hope they respond better than their
counterparts in the House."
Senator Bonini said "The claim that this was not a partisan Caucus
position by the House Democrats just doesn't wash. Are we expected to
believe that every one of them reached the conclusion on their own to vote
against HB 4, even those who ran for office just 2 months ago with open
government as a cornerstone of their campaigns?"
"Some of them profess that HB 4 is 'not really an open government or
good government initiative'. That's a mighty feeble claim. What can be
more 'good and open government' than giving the people and their elected
representatives the opportunity to know the contents of the state's major
spending bills before they are enacted? The budget and bond bills and
their epilogue language spell out the state's policy and priorities for
the year as to how the taxpayers' money will be spent."
"Giving the public and legislators 3-5 days' time to read, question,
clarify and debate the contents of budgets is not an unreasonable
expectation. Less time is unreasonable, more time would be better."
"We look forward to seeing HB 4 come up again in the House, and then in
the Senate when the legislature returns in March."
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