Still time for state Senate to end unrecorded votes

By D.A. King, Dalton Daily Citizen, January 19, 2017

Summary:

"To be clear, the default manner of voting on floor amendments is a raise-your-hand vote that is not recorded anywhere. Neither is a non-vote."

For now, unrecorded votes will continue under the Gold Dome.

When they had the biennial opportunity on the first day of the General Assembly session, Georgia state senators declined to change the rule in place that allows an unrecorded hand vote. The rule change could have been done with a simple majority.

A quick lesson in how the Georgia Senate works: Amendments made on the floor of the Senate chamber to bills about to be voted on for final passage are often altered with no record of how -- or if -- any senator voted on the amendment. What could go wrong, eh?

To be clear, the default manner of voting on floor amendments is a raise-your-hand vote that is not recorded anywhere. Neither is a non-vote.

It takes five senators to insist on a recorded vote that is entered on the vote tally machine and in the permanent Senate Journal. Most floor amendments do not get a recorded vote.

Let us make it clear here that one of the very dependable tools used by some politicians is the knowledge that most Americans have no idea how their government works.

Let us be equally clear here that this writer has watched numerous times while some senators scurry around the chamber or get under the overhang of the Senate gallery to avoid being seen during an unrecorded hand vote -- even by citizens watching in person.

A recent vote on Senate rules was recorded on the Senate tally machine. It should be noted that Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, made remarks noting this problem with the Senate rules and it is likely that the topic will be revisited. We hope he has help.

Curious critics of this lack of transparency in government who take the time to talk to their own state senator about the above should also be armed with the knowledge that it is never too late to change the rule allowing unrecorded votes.

According to the secretary of the Senate, the Senate rules can be changed anytime. But now it requires a two-thirds majority vote. Which could be unrecorded.

The unrecorded vote rule in the Georgia Senate should be scrapped and Georgians of all descriptions should be constantly making that demand.

D.A. King, president of the Georgia-based Dustin Inman Society

Marietta

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