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[Pistolero]

The hell is wrong with your politics?

You know, down here in Australia, we have compulsory voting and I always thought it was a bad idea, but now I'm thinking we are much better getting whoevers name appears on the voting slip first, rather then the snake oil salesmen who can draw in enough fools to get into office. Really, however this happened, something is just bad, no two ways about it.

You know what, I think you're right. There's something to be said for getting a random representative over the better spin doctor.

On topic regarding one of the issues listed, the US places so many restrictions on peoples ability to spend their labour how they choose that you can't really call it a free market economy anymore. You guys aren't exactly moving towards deregulation of the labour market, unless it's in a way that preferences investor interests. Still, at least everyone is free to invest their capital, it just gets harder for them to generate any in the first place as the years go by. I wouldn't want to be born poor there in thirty years. Hell, I wouldn't want to thirty years ago either, most of the current crop of 'rags to riches' stories attended ivy league schools.

[RedKing]

Hey, lookee there...we're headed for a state budget showdown. Or not, since the GOP has enough seats in the state legislature that they can ramrod a budget even through a gubernatorial veto.

Man, what happened to my state? It feels like it went from Paradise to Parking Lot in the span of just a couple of years. 

[Vactor]

Is the North Carolina Budget really only 19 Billion? is that for a Biennium, or just for one year?


As a follow up to my previous point about the ruling in Wisconsin, I neglected to point out that both the assembly and senate have specific exemptions for themselves from the open meetings law posting requirements, however they don't have any set of joint rules exempting themselves together, which is why the DA was able to get the Chief Clerk into a position of answering the specific question "is there a joint rule that exempts this action from the open meetings law?"

[Ampersand]

The hell is wrong with your politics?

You know, down here in Australia, we have compulsory voting and I always thought it was a bad idea, but now I'm thinking we are much better getting whoevers name appears on the voting slip first, rather then the snake oil salesmen who can draw in enough fools to get into office. Really, however this happened, something is just bad, no two ways about it.

You know what, I think you're right. There's something to be said for getting a random representative over the better spin doctor.

Reminds me of an article I read that supported representatives selected by lottery at the county level, and then the bodies of county government select a single member from amongst themselves to send to the state level, and so on. Service would be compulsory upon selection. In theory, it would be the only way for the whole of the nation's government to be a truly representative statistical sample of the United States population. The idea is that it is people who are in situations they don't necessarily want to be in who rise to greatness.

Problem of course, is that, in comparison to the way things are now, the possibility for truly, literally unintelligent and incompetent people to end up in local government is much higher with your only hope being that they will be balanced out by supremely competent people who would otherwise not be interested in getting into politics at all.

In any case, back on topic; The Overturning of Wisconsin's Anti-Union Law has been Overturned. http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/123859034.html

The court found that a committee of lawmakers was not subject to the state's open meetings law, and so did not violate that law when it hastily approved the collective bargaining measure in March and made it possible for the Senate to take it up. In doing so, the Supreme Court overruled a Dane County judge who had halted the legislation, ending one challenge to the law even as new challenges are likely to emerge.

[Nikov]

Woot woot.

[Aqizzar]

Woot woot.

This being my thread, I'm not as beholden to play nice as otherwise.  If you're going to post something, make it something worth posting.  If you are in favor of any of: circuit courts not having the authority to enforce legislative statutes, state supreme courts blatantly ignoring the letter of the law, or "busting unions" being an issue important enough to do likewise, as "woot woot" might imply, please elaborate on your opinion.

[Nikov]

I'm just glad to see the state Supreme Court determine the judge overstepped her authority by interfering with the legislative process. That sounds like a positive step toward keeping state government from dissolving.

[Aqizzar]

I'm just glad to see the state Supreme Court determine the judge overstepped her authority by interfering with the legislative process. That sounds like a positive step toward keeping state government from dissolving.

You do realize that courts do that all the time, right?  Every time the federal supreme court overturns a law, it's interfering with the legislative process.  In this case, it was an incredibly obvious violation of laws passed on how the legislature is supposed to conduct business, because 3/5s of the body introducing, amending, and voting on a measure in 45 minutes with no debate is no way to make laws.  But do go on about how courts shouldn't interfere with the legislative process.  I'll remember that the next time a circuit court strikes down a gun ban or something.

[RedKing]

One man's "activist judge" is another man's freedom fighter, or something like that.

[Nikov]

But in its ruling on Tuesday, the Supreme Court said the circuit court judge had overstepped her authority and violated the separation of powers in the state constitution.

The court said "one of the courts that we are charged with overseeing has usurped the legislative power which the Wisconsin Constitution grants exclusively to the legislature ... exceeded its jurisdiction, invaded the legislature's constitutional powers ... and erred in the enjoining the publication and further implementation of the Act."

No, courts do not "do that all the time". Every the federal supreme court overturns a law, it is not interfering with the legislative process, it is ruling on a suit placed against a law. No suit had been placed against this law, as the law was never allowed to be passed since the lower court "erred in the enjoining the publication and further implementation of the Act."

[Vactor]

As much as it pains me to say it, Nikov is right, when the legislature wrote the open meetings laws they specifically exempted themselves from it. (similarly to how they are immune to libel during session)  The court overturned the law based on the procedure used to pass it rather than the content of the legislation.

While both were terrible, it is up to the body of the Senate to get themselves in order, or if they fail to do so, the electorate to replace them.  What this really comes down to is the idea that the people of Wisconsin have a right to vote in a horribly run legislature if they so choose.  Just as they have the right to vote them away.

I've said before the overturning of the law was a failure of the Administration's Lawyers, not because of the Judge. 

I think that a challenge that will have greater merit would be to attack the law based on its restrictions on the right to assembly, which is a constitutional protection, which is going toward the content of the law, rather than the actions of the legislature.

[ETV]

http://www.themoneymasters.com/

Is this relevant to the thread or are we already losing our right to pass bills by now?

[Nadaka]

http://www.themoneymasters.com/

Is this relevant to the thread or are we already losing our right to pass bills by now?

It isn't particularly relevant to this thread as it does not directly concern state government, but rather national and international government.

[nenjin]

Hey, remember this crazy stuff?

It's about to happen.

[Aqizzar]

Hey, remember this crazy stuff?

It's about to happen.

I'm pretty sure there was a reason I stopped updating this thread.  But thanks for that.  My attention is coming back.