One Republican senator called it “stomping-on-minority-rights day,” as Senate Democrats in near-straight party line votes beat back rule changes offered that would have made it easier to filibuster and would have required a vote on every bill.
Republicans denied that these were partisan measures. “Republicans cannot block anything in this body,” Sen. Andrew Harris, R-Baltimore-Harford, said. He had proposed requiring a two-thirds vote of 32 to shut off debate, rather than two-fifths, as the rule now stands. Republicans have 14 senators, and would need 16 senators to keep debate going.
“Minorities are put together on a daily basis” on controversial issues, such as gun ownership or the death penalty, Harris said. “There is little relation to partisanship.”
Sen. Brian Frosh, D-Montgomery, said, “We have a rule that is respectful of minority rights,” requiring a three-fifths majority to stop debate, the same margin that is required to pass a constitutional amendment or override a governor?s veto. The senates of 35 other states require only a simple majority vote to limit debate.
The GOP members lost the vote 14-33.
Senate Minority Whip Allan Kittleman, Howard-Carroll, had proposed another rule that would have required a committee vote on every bill. He noted that sometimes after the time and trouble of attending a hearing on a bill important to them, constituents don?t get the courtesy of a vote because a committee chairman doesn?t bring it up. “It?s too easy to say, ?I?m just going to throw it in a drawer,? ” Kittleman said.
Majority Leader Ed Kasemeyer, D-Howard-Baltimore, argued that every bill has to have a hearing, and everyone gets to testify, as opposed to the practices of many states. “There are 45 states where bills don?t have to have a hearing,” Kasemeyer said.
Towson Democrat James Brochin, the lone Democrat to back the rule change, noted that Common Cause supported it. “If bills don?t get a vote,” Brochin said, “The process isn?t completed.”
Republicans also tried to block a rule change that would prohibit turning a proposed law into a constitutional amendment on the Senate floor. Kittleman said the rule would block passage of a constitutional amendment against the use of condemnation powers for economic development.
“It?s totally an election issue” that Republicans had tried to use against him, Senate President Thomas Mike Miller said.
