We would like our elected representatives at the state house to focus on only the important issues from Day One and make steady progress during the time allotted to them.
But that’s not human nature or how the legislative process works. As the end of the session gets closer, ideology softens and deals that could never be struck in February start to look possible.
With paychecks running out on June 8, the Legislature is running into this crucial end phase. But in order to go home before the legal adjournment date, they still have to dispose of bills that would remake the state’s energy policy, tax policy and land use regulation in the vast North Woods.
They also have to pass a two-year state budget, with two-thirds majorities required in both houses.
It hardly seems like all that could be done in a little over a week, and a lot of it doesn’t have to be. There have been efforts over the last days to delay some major policy initiatives involving renewable energy and the Land Use Regulation Commission until 2012.
Deadlines are good if they bring focus, but not when they make laws out of ideas that are insufficiently discussed. There is no need to push issues through in a deadline-driven frenzy in the session’s last days if you don’t have to.
It would be much better for lawmakers to focus on the budget and all that goes with it and put off other issues until next year.
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