Only about four months ago the public was given 70 seconds to deliver its thoughts.
On Wednesday, House leaders in the Legislature lopped 10 seconds off everyone’s thoughts, except their own.
That is, on Feb. 11 school teachers, administrators, parents and others got 70 seconds to address SB 451, a long, sweeping and controversial education reform bill.
It was also just the first of two such two-hour public hearings on that issue during the regular session.
Times have changed since then on the House’s own long, sweeping and controversial education bill — HB 206
This week, speakers were not only assigned one minute and one public hearing, but time was up on that hearing in about 90 minutes.
The time limit clearly troubled the speakers, many of whom claim they never got a fair hearing during months of debate on education reform.
At one point, as the murmurs of discontent got louder, the legislator running the hearing threatened, “Keep order or I will shut down this hearing.”
Yes, we know everything is condensed in a special session, much like summer school classes.
Yet, we got the impression this hearing was a rush job, which is contrary to careful thought and good judgment, never mind, actually listening. Just knowing that nearly 2,000 people passed through the Capitol’s public doors Monday, as the House convened, makes us wonder how many were heard.
Admittedly, no one likes always being on the receiving end of tirades, intense criticism and the truth, however, it’s always give and take in the public arena. We’re experts. We give it and take it daily. But that’s how it’s supposed to work in a democracy. It’s noisy, tedious and often messy.
Still, that’s how you discern opinion from facts. Sure, facts and figures can get gray, too, but you’re obligated to listen to all sides, not just your own.
If every public body or agency restricts every public hearing in this manner we all eventually will be muted.
Yes, most public hearings in legislative committees allow speakers several minutes and may accept written testimony if they bring more remarks than they have time to read.
Too much information? Maybe, but at least the public by all appearances gets to participate.
For now, we’re not standing with Republicans or Democrats, the teachers, school service personnel or anyone else on HB 206. Yet, a one-minute time limit on speakers at a public hearing on such a contentious issue that wraps up before it even gets started is bad government.
Some lawmakers may say they have heard enough already from the public during this special session, especially the hundreds of teachers that were at the Capitol.
But there’s a difference between hearing and listening.
