Quote (thesnipa @ Jul 13 2021 07:07am)

https://nypost.com/2021/07/13/texas-gov-abbott-vows-to-have-missing-dem-lawmakers-arrested/

This type of behavior is in no way practiced by just one side, this is an act we've seen repeated over and over by both sides.

Fleeing votes, a similar case in Wisconsin comes to mind where democrats fled a vote by Scott Walker as governor, and later the Republicans fled a vote under Evers the democratic governor.

In the federal legislature we have poor attendance even on typical legislative votes, and ABYSMAL attendance when bills are being read in their entirety.

If this is your job you should be ready and able to vote, attend meetings, attend readings, etc 5 days a week. Minimum. Monday through Friday 8-10 hours a day.

If you have official business back in your district or scheduled vacation there should be a robust proxy voting system in play.

Quote (ofthevoid @ Jul 14 2021 10:16am)

Get rid of these quorum laws. If you’re not there to vote or debate, tough, the bill or law one side is pushing moves on.

Problem solved.

Quote (thundercock @ Jul 14 2021 08:13pm)

To me, this is a strategic abuse of the rules and nothing more. This isn't any worse than a filibuster IMO.

Yea, that's not short-sighted at all :wacko:

Quote (thundercock @ Jul 14 2021 09:13pm)

To me, this is a strategic abuse of the rules and nothing more. This isn't any worse than a filibuster IMO.



Yea, that's not short-sighted at all :wacko:

Quote (ofthevoid @ Jul 14 2021 06:33pm)

What’s the downside of getting rid of them? They’re obviously getting abused.

Quote (ofthevoid @ Jul 14 2021 08:33pm)

What’s the downside of getting rid of them? They’re obviously getting abused.

Quote (thundercock @ Jul 14 2021 09:44pm)

Because it would allow a fringe minority to do some pretty horrific things. Imagine if Republicans are at the convention and Democrats pass a liberal wish-list, impeach and remove the governor, etc. Imagine a small portion of the board of directors dissolving a company while everyone is sleeping. Quorum was invented in the middle ages precisely to prevent that sort of shit from happening.

What's happening now is certainly an abuse of parliamentary procedure, but it's far far better than the alternative.

Quote (ofthevoid @ Jul 14 2021 07:43pm)

Yeah no, an elected majority would get its way. What the democrats are doing now in this case is a minority essentially stalling the will of the majority through a technicality, again completely counter democracy.

It’s not about gotcha voting in the middle of the night to basically trick the other side, these are votes/sessions known well in advance and planned for. If you can’t make it there’s video conferencing, there’s other means but we both know this is happening purely out of political reasons.

As it stands these laws are garbage and you could easily fix them with a few clauses.

Quote (ofthevoid @ Jul 15 2021 12:43pm)

Yeah no, an elected majority would get its way. What the democrats are doing now in this case is a minority essentially stalling the will of the majority through a technicality, again completely counter democracy.

It’s not about gotcha voting in the middle of the night to basically trick the other side, these are votes/sessions known well in advance and planned for. If you can’t make it there’s video conferencing, there’s other means but we both know this is happening purely out of political reasons.

As it stands these laws are garbage and you could easily fix them with a few clauses.

Quote (Plaguefear @ 14 Jul 2021 23:59)

You guys literally love the electoral college BECAUSE it lets your minority maintain power, but you HATE when you have a majority and anything is done to prevent it doing horrible things.
You want real democracy?
Fine..
The democrats run the country, forever.