The House is in order: ‘Lower’ chamber looks to be higher road than Senate

Was it personal or was it political? Or was it something else?
Many are still unsure what was behind the state Senate’s rush job on SB 451, the comprehensive education bill. But a rush job it was. After being introduced in the Senate Education Committee on Jan. 28, a week later it was in the House of Delegates’ lap.
And the only reason it took that long is the state Constitution requires bills be read three times. The vote on passage takes place on third reading.
We must note here the vote for passage of SB 451 was as close as it can get — 18-16 — without resulting in a tie in the 34-member Senate. A tie would have killed the bill.
But it was not quite as political as it can get as two Republican senators joined the Democratic minority.
As a rule, we refer to the state Senate as the upper chamber and the House as the lower chamber. That’s customary across the nation in every legislative body.
That’s because most have come to hold senates to a higher standard and perceive them as taking a big-picture view of governing.
Some go so far as to refer to senates as an august body, meaning more esteemed and respected. Not to mention its members are often considered more deliberative and conservative.
Meanwhile, the House, the lower chamber, is viewed as a little bit more rougher around the edges and needing to be more responsive to its district’s changing interests.
Yet, it’s the House that’s taking a measured approach to SB 451 and is acting like the real grown-up here.
Rather than slipping one past their peers on a strictly political vote as most Senate Republicans did, House Republicans and Democrats are taking a best practices approach.
We say this in light of the Republican House Speaker informing committee chairs he is calling for a public hearing on SB 451.
The public hearing is scheduled at 8 a.m. Monday in the House chamber. Perhaps not the best time and date, but the sooner the better in light of the controversy swirling around SB 451.
There is also other reasons why we commend the House’s approach to this nearly 130-page bill, including:
It’s sticking to the committee process to consider this legislation.
Its committees are interviewing experts other than those who will benefit from this bill.
This process is also striking contentious provisions from the bill and considering amendments.
And it has already allowed more input in one day from teachers than the Senate did in a week.
Some will say the House is responding in this manner in light of teacher unions meeting Saturday to tally local work action votes.
We disagree. If anything, the Republican majority in the House is simply letting the process play out.
What the Senate failed to do.