Before most legislatures built in their own capacity for doing deep analyses of bills before they’re passed, we used to say that governors were the last line of defense for preventing states from making costly mistakes. Governors always have smart lawyers who know how laws have to be written to stand up and how to avoid getting on the wrong side of federal judges. Not all governors listen to their experts and not all have the guts to veto measures that have passed overwhelmingly.
My take is that tiny Vermont has not caught up with the times. It isn’t willing to spend the money on the resources its legislature needs to do the job right. It does not do any significant bill analysis at either the committee level or by a central body as the majority of states now do.
For example, take its much-heralded GMO-labeling bill, H. 112. Yes, please take it. It’s a mess of a bill. Or the bill is a mess. I cannot find any independent line-by-line analysis of this 51-page mess.
But it’s certain to be signed later this week by former travel agent Pete Shumlin, who is the governor of Vermont. The bottom line, however, is that letting states make these kinds of decisions is ludicrous. Americans are not going to accept either higher food prices or reduced food choices that the Vermont “mess” would deliver.
Read the full, original article: A Mess in Vermont
