Lucas: Will liberal Democrats attempt to broaden the Massachusetts Home of Representatives?

Just like the U.S Supreme Court docket, the time might have come for progressives concerned with saving democracy to broaden the scale of the Massachusetts Home of Representatives as effectively.

The extra the merrier.

Left wing loonies like Senators Eddie Markey and Elizabeth Warren are all in on increasing the nine-member conservative courtroom in order that it may be full of judges who will make selections they assist.

Why not do the identical with the 160-member Massachusetts Home of Representatives which, though dominated by liberal Democrats, nonetheless doesn’t carry out the way in which liberals would really like.

At concern is the grievance, led by the Boston Globe, that the tremendous Democrat majorities in each the Home and the Senate have positioned an excessive amount of energy and management within the arms of Home Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka.

That’s the reason, in keeping with the paper, the Legislature “can’t get important things done in a timely manner” when the 2 highly effective leaders disagree on coverage. And that’s additionally why, as an illustration, Gov. Maura Healey’s financial growth bundle didn’t move.

So why is it, the paper requested in a sophomoric editorial final week, that Mariano and Spilka “still have a firm hold on their leadership posts on Beacon Hill?”

Nicely, one cause is that the duly elected Democrats in each the Home and the Senate voted to elect them to their management positions, which is the way in which democracy works.

They in flip reward their followers with “stipends,” chairmanships, workers, workplace area and different perks of energy.

Another excuse is that efforts to “professionalize” the Legislature to make it extra environment friendly, which led to the lower within the measurement of the Home from 240 to 160 members again in 1978, not solely failed to take action, however put extra energy within the arms of legislative leaders.

It’s a provided that the Home was unruly with 240 members, however it was extra open to debate, dissent and compromise. A Speaker not solely needed to cope with Republican members, but additionally with outspoken Democrats as effectively.

Difficult a Speaker or a Senate President was common.

As well as, in contrast to at this time, Home members again then had no workers or workplaces or stipends. They labored from their desks within the Home chamber, or from committee listening to rooms. They made their cellphone calls from phone cubicles within the Home foyer. They fought for parking areas. It was a part-time job with part-time pay.

It’s nonetheless a part-time job, however the base pay is $73,665, with many members making extra by means of “stipends” dished out by the Speaker and Senate President to supporters, in the event that they fall in line.

And meaning going together with selections made behind closed doorways by the Speaker and the Senate President together with a number of shut aides. There’s little debate and few roll calls.

Again when issues had been open, the Speaker or the Senate President didn’t have a bag of goodies, like they’ve at this time, to offer out. There was at all times vigorous debate in each branches.

Issues weren’t rubber stamped. State Home reporters quoted legislators of their tales, and printed roll calls after they occurred. Individuals knew what was happening on the State Home, and so they cared.

Now no person is aware of or cares if the Legislature is even in session, or if the governor is even round.

When was the final time you examine a Home or Senate debate or noticed a roll name in a newspaper?

Just like the lower within the measurement of the Home, the lower within the variety of State Home reporters has been extreme as effectively.

Again then there have been 35 reporters within the State Home Press Room. It was thought-about the most effective beat within the newspaper enterprise and for a lot of it was their life calling. Now you’re fortunate if there are 5 – 6.