Public Not Allowed to Testify on Some Republican Bills

Is the Ways and Means committee in Annapolis blocking the public’s ability to testify on controversial legislation?

Republican Delegate Kathy Szeliga announced that the public is not allowed to testify on her Fairness in Girl’s Sports Legislation

“When is a public hearing NOT a public hearing?  My Fairness in Girls’ Sports bill will be sponsor-only next week.  The committee will not allow the public to come and testify in-person,” Szeliga wrote.

Fairness in Girls’ Sports is not the only returning bill in that committee that won’t allow the public to testify. The Voter ID bill that would require voters to show ID to vote also does not allow oral testimony and the bill that prohibits sexually explicit materials in public school libraries is also sponsored only.

The committee is probably tired of hearing the same bills over and over but this is becoming a partisan issue.

Most controversial Democratic bills will get out in the first year and pass through both chambers so there won’t be a Year Two for many of those bills.

We know that most of these Republican bills are DOA but at least one day a year Democrats get to hear from the public about the importance of Voter ID and the dangers of having biological men playing women sports.

Now that one day is being taken away by Democrats.

It appears Ways and Means is the only committee that doesn’t allow oral testimony in the second year of a bill

The expanding alcohol sales bill is being reintroduced in Economic Matters for the one millionth time and it’s a safe bet that all witnesses on both sides will get to testify. All 100 of them.

Every constituent deserves their day to face a committee and give their oral testimony.

And every committee needs to sit there and listen one time a year.