Openness shut down

In response to “Abortion bill’s absence” (Feb. 10) by Jim Camden. So what’s “consensus” look like with the new minority cum majority? It looks like more like censor than consensus.

In the past three weeks, on numerous occasions, state Senate committees have refused to hear testimony from worker representatives who packed their meeting rooms to express their concerns about proposed privatization of the workman’s compensation system.

On numerous occasions, committee chairs have directed that even the listing or recording of those showing up in opposition to these radical proposals be excluded from the public record. So only the proponents of this bad legislation show up on the public records.

I guess we should expect no less from the party that has given us coordinated voter suppression efforts, gerrymandered districts and attempts to make the popular vote irrelevant by “reforming” the Electoral College.

This is what passes for inclusion, openness and consensus decision-making by the new ersatz majority in the state Senate. Welcome to the world of the ALEC-conceived, tea party-driven version of democracy.

Let’s hope that at least the House will stand up for open public access to the committee hearings process.

Jim Wavada

Spokane