State Rep. Doug Dubitsky – Featured on WNPR Radio
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A state representative has put forth two proposals that would change the length of the General Assembly’s legislative session — in completely different ways. Republican State Representative Doug Dubitsky is proposing either limiting the session to just 45 days, or expanding the session to year-round. Dubitsky told the legislature’s Government Administration and Elections Committee that the current length of session discourages people with 9 to 5 jobs from becoming public servants.
Rep. Dubitsky said “if it’s part-time, somebody could take 45 days, they put together their vacation time and their sick time and they’re much more able to actually do this job, and get back to their regular job, and be real citizen legislators. If we make it full time, then a person can decide “well I’m going to that instead of this.”
Dubitsky told the committee either proposal could work. He said a 45 day session would streamline the many bills and public hearings coming from the legislature’s various committees, while a full time legislature would leave more time for lawmakers to hear from their constituents.
Rep. Dubitsky said “somebody who’s got a job, who’s got a mortgage, they come to the legislature and they take an enormous amount of time out of their working year to be here, and they just simply don’t have the time to go to all the events in their district to talk to people.”
Either proposal would require an amendment to the state constitution.
H.J. No. 34 – RESOLUTION AMENDING THE STATE CONSTITUTION TO MAKE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FULL TIME