New Last-Minute Voting proposals may require legislation be in print for 3 days before voting.

By Leah Dearborn

Two new bills proposed in California on January 22nd will seek to prevent last minute voting in the state Senate and Assembly. SCA10 and ACA4 are aimed at “gut-and-amend” strategy, as it is sometimes called, when bills are voted on only hours or days after being introduced.

According to The Californian:

The identical bills by Democratic Sen. Lois Wolk of Davis and Republican Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen of Modesto would require all legislation to be in print and online 72 hours before it comes to a vote. Both bills would be constitutional amendments and would have to be approved by the voters.

The proposition is popular amongst minority Republicans and has fared well in voter focus groups. It has also seen a push of bipartisan support from government reform groups who believe its passage would make lawmaking decisions more transparent.

However, Democrats fear that previous bills signed under pressured circumstances could face undue scrutiny if the new propositions meet with success. There is also dissension under the probability that a three-day waiting period would make reaching a compromise between parties even more difficult than before. Senate President Darrell Steinberg has confirmed that he supports the three-day rule, but believes the current proposal needs to be re-written to make an exception for urgent situations.