IF AN AMENDMENT passes in the Legislature and no one records the vote, did it really happen?
All right, that’s a little flippant. But it’s as good a way as any to illustrate the spotlight issue for Sunshine Week this year.
Sunshine Week is an annual celebration of the public’s right to know and a warning about where those rights may be in danger. Put simply, you’re the boss — you should have the right to know what’s being done in your name.
Kansas is better than a number of states in that regard. But “better” doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement. And this year, state promoters are focusing on the drama of the unrecorded vote.
As watchers of the Statehouse know, a lot of things can happen to a bill before it ever reaches the floor of the Senate or the House. That means amendments are where the action is. But unless committee members ask for it, the roll-call vote for an amendment is not recorded in either chamber.
That rule had its roots in the abortion debates of the 1980s, when many legislators feared having their committee votes used against them. The restrictions on recording votes are weaker these days, but that information still remains unwritten unless a legislator wants it on the record.
That seems both dated and dangerous.
Emporians took a vocal stand for open government during the recent hiring of Emporia’s city manager. It’s no less important at the state level. And fear of what the voters might think is no reason to hide a record.
In fact, that’s the very definition of accountability.