Legislative Interim Committee Proposed Bills

There are Legislative Interim Committes meetings, Legislative Interim Committee Proposed Bills , being held with the purpose of drafting bills to be presented to the next Legislative session. As of May 26, 2008, there are 122 bills being drafted by the legislative administrative staff. By the time the legislative session commences, there will probably be in excess of 200 bills. Some of the drafts are the result of the previous legislative session requesting studies, Interim Studies_2008, of a particular issue. Most of the bills are requested by government bureaucrats expanding their jurisdiction, authority, rules or the penalties they think are necessary to perform their jobs and to control the people more effectively. The legislative staff coordinates the agenda, schedules the meetings, notifies "interested persons" and assists in the conduct of the meeting.

The problem with this process is that executive and judicial officials are the primary sponsors of numerous bills and they are the ones who determine the subject matter for proposed legislation. Committees are scheduled to hear the proposals and "interested parties" are contacted to provide testimony. Generally the "interested parties" are public officials who proposed the bill and non-government groups who have a special interest in it's passage. At the hearing, the agenda is approximately nine hours in length. During the nine hours, officials monopolize the testimony and the public is accorded fifteen minutes. The public receives fifteen minutes because they are not aware the meeting is being conducted and, therefore, there are few people in attendance. Public officials are paid to testify and attend the interim committee meetings. Individuals may have to travel long distances and pay for gas, meals and lodging.


There is a need for more transparency in the interim committee meeting process. The committees should comply with public notice and participation provisions required by the Constitution and statutes. Representatives need to be reminded that they represent the people and that the people want a limited government. The people are intelligent and responsible enough to lead their own lives. We do not need or want government officials to evaluate, administer and enforce their views concerning how our lives should be conducted. The law is supposed to limit government and the government is supposed be our servant. The entire concept and principals defined in the Constituion are being reversed, corrupted and redefined. The people must demand that our representatives formulate statutes which limits administrative law and respects the rights and sovereignty of the people or we will no longer be a free nation.