Opinion

Legislators Should Not Vote on Bills They Haven’t Read

Do they have the guts to make that a law?

Image created by Jacquelyn Lynn using MockupShots

This would fix 99 percent of the government-related problems in our country:

To vote on a bill, legislators must submit a paper copy of the bill with each page bearing their initials and an affidavit swearing they have read and understand the entire bill.

Nancy Pelosi’s famous “we have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it” line represents so much of what is wrong with the legislative process.

All too often, lawmakers don’t know what they’re voting on. They’re doing what party leaders, aids, and lobbyists tell them to do without any real understanding of how it’s going to impact their constituents. And that’s not why we voted for them.

A law like this would simplify the legislative process and force legislators to be actual representatives of the people. It should be in effect at every level of government, from local to federal.

I’ll send a campaign contribution to the first local, state, and national legislator who proposes a simple, one-page bill…