Hehe. I've been to way too many of those in my lifetime...

That's the best kind of meeting!

wonder if the play BS bingo during their "sessions"
"paradigm shift" check
"for the children" check
"raise taxes only slightly" check
"adding a user fee" check
"Vitiorol" check
"previous administrations fault" check
"high capacity clips with the thing that goes up" check
"for the children" check
"for the children" check
"for the children" check
"pay raise for us, but not the rest of the state" check...

If I thought it would create more efficiency I'd say yes but what's more likely to happen is less work will be done at the same rate of pay.

Interesting that they found time to work on this self-serving project while our state's very real issues wait to be addressed.

Bren, that is one of the most thin and stretched attempts to find the cloud on a silver lining you've ever posted. You started off with an empathetic tone, just to betray your appearance of understanding with political imbibing, I'm sure you find irresistible as a member of the minority.

And it's very revealing. These guys have been addressing real issues, and they don't need all night right now to do it. Btw, the session JUST STARTED.

To accuse them of a self-serving project when the article clearly states it was a bipartisan vote is disingenuous.

To claim they are ignoring important issues by not working into the night is misleading, because your side simply cannot pass the bills as the minority.

To imply there is a "fiscal cliff-like" rush to pass bills and this is somehow ignoring their duty is to set up a straw man and say "see?!"

I have no opinion on late hours, especially since a simply voice vote could a,end the current ones in emergency situations. I do think it increases transparency to a degree, which I'm all for. CCTV of the hearings and all negotiations is more effective in that regard, however.

Ed, I found nothing empathetic in my comment. Constituents were asking for transparent processes probably because of the ALEC union stripping legislation couched in the "budget repair" bill that was dumped on our state in early February 2011, and the subsequent shenanigans that we all remember. Whichever side of the political spectrum one finds oneself these days, that entire episode was a pile of crapola and even Gov. Walker admitted he could have "handled things differently." No freaking kidding.

But as patchreader 123 points out elsewhere in this thread, daytime sessions are hard for many folks to attend. Thus "transparency" is not gained by ending night sessions. My cynicism rests in overall dissatisfaction with the issues this legislature has involved itself in since Walker was elected. What is a bicycle, diddling around with the public high school sex education curriculum, abortion-related legislature. When a governor is elected on a jobs jobs jobs platform, I don't expect diddling in the high school sex education curriculum. I expect programs that keep people fed while getting them trained up for jobs in new industries. I respect people's differing views on abortion, that some believe it is immoral. I believe there is an immorality in allowing children and the unemployed to go hungry. In my view, more public scrutiny is essential.

Your ALEC hating and other rhetoric only shows how divided we are and will be until you learn to embrace liberty and common sense in government.

I heard about this before and would like some details on it as well.

Some members in the past had been allowed to vote over the phone or get special permission for particular votes. Perhaps this change is for non budgetary or critical bills, or for voice vote actions? Maybe committee votes?

It's not the most concerning change to me, but more details would be good.

I've since added some details related to the vote to help explain better what some of it means.

Clearly you don't remember the 2am sessions. I guarantee you that the press, the common man and politician observers in general are more available during the day, until say, 7pm, than 2am. Wouldn't you agree?

Dick, they didn't set an hour limitation.

8pm could be argued as "a reasonable hour." 2am is not, and that was common the last two sessions.

I have found nothing on on the contents of this statement. Maybe Patch can fill in these details.

You ask and you shall receive. http://wispolitics.com/1006/130110_Pasch.pdf

Thanks Adam,

To summarize. Opening salvo blasting Republicans, naturally. Complaint that this is somehow restricting debate and public access (100% wrong - it eliminates situations where things can be done in the late night/early morning hours when the public is unlikely to be around anyways and restricts such actions to a time period when the public is more likely to be available for access. It doesn't restrict debate - it just confines them to "working hours" essentially). And then the usual political blah, blah, blah. Completely pointless. Just another opportunity to get some coverage.

Thanks, I needed the laugh. I think the legislature should have included a self-pity clause in the new rules.

This is why it is needed.

A dress code for the floor of the Assembly; coat and tie for men and "appropriate attire" for women.

Blue fisters need to be babysat so they do not embarrass their employers.

Sexist

oh SNAP!!!!
but so, so true....twas a sad day to see our "leaders" leaving their posts.

Ah, but there WAS a rule in place when they did. :) some days I wish they had sent the state patrol to arrest them. Lol

They should have sent the state patrol after them and charged with whatever crime is on the books. They are domestic terrorists and their terror only continued after they returned to the state.

I know Walker was trying to save some face back then and hold the patrol off, but in hindsight he still would have faced recall. And STILL would have kicked blue fister butt.

In most instances if you abandon your job, you lose it. Only in government can you get away with this crap.

Are you actually telling us that those -Ed Show- and -Rachel Maddow- 'on camera' appearances, from a secret undisclosed location ('somewhere' in Illinois), don't qualify as WORK?

That was your Senators, these are Assembly rules.

Actually a few of the republican members own their own businesses. The blue fisters may as well but I do to consider them as human.

You forgot to quote the first part where I was schooling jbw. As for the part that you quoted where did I go wrong? Boring news day in Minnesota?