Senator Tony Hwang (R-28), the ranking leader on Public Health, Insurance & Real Estate and Planning & Development Committees, today voted no on the budget implementer bill (SB 1202) which contained 837 pages and nearly 25,000 lines of information due to a broken and arrogant legislative process and “rats” that were inserted into the implementer. Senate Democrat and Republican rank and file members were afforded less than a few hours to review the extensive document ahead of the scheduled 11am special session.
Senator Hwang released the following statement on the day’s events:
“The constitutionally mandated end of session adjourned ‘Sine Die’ less than one week ago. I was asked when told with less than 48 hours notice to convene a rare special session, if I was fearful of possible foul play in the legislative process. When only given access to a voluminous document this morning, unfortunately, my worst fears were realized. This sprawling partisan bill reflects a broken and arrogant legislative process resultant of one party Democratic rule.
“These 800-plus pages contain measures that never saw a proper public hearing, that were never considered by a legislative committee, or were purposely not addressed by one chamber of the legislature or the other. Despite the lack of a transparent legislative process, the implementer was passed strictly along partisan Democratic votes.
“I find the entire process brought us a broken and disrespectful execution of a supposed ‘representative government.’ I am beyond frustrated and fighting mad.
“There has been zero effort to have conversations across the aisle, to build consensus and consider all possible ramifications of these policy changes.
“The lack of communication, collaboration and the rushed process are a collective failure to accomplish what is possibly our most important charge as a legislature: to provide a clear roadmap of how the state will navigate the next fiscal year.”
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