As anyone who has ever sat on any committee anywhere knows, there must be some level of continuity in order to make progress. New members of committees are eased into the process, learning the ropes from existing members, until new members take on leadership roles of their own.
In partisan committees valuable insight can be gained from working closely with others who may not have the same methods, but have the same good intentions. Communication is key to the generation of ideas and real problem solving, whether it’s taking place at staff meetings or at the highest levels of government.
So what does it mean when entire committees are summarily dismissed? Does it mean that those committees have done such a horrible job at their given tasks that there is no choice but to slash and burn?
That’s what the latest North Carolina Senate has recommended: to eradicate entire committees and with them the collective knowledge accrued by those with actual, hands-on experience in those
roles.
They are members of the Utilities Commission (which provides fair regulation of public utilities in the interest of the public), the Industrial Commission (oversees workman’s comp and investigations of those who abuse it), the Coastal Resources Commission (makes rules and policies for coastal development), the Environmental Management Commission (protection, preservation and enhancement of the state’s air and water resources) and the state Lottery Commission (lottery regulation and its supplemental public education funds).
Whether you believe such an act is a “power grab” by the Republican Party or think it a genuine attempt to make the state more efficient, the question to be asked: Is it wise?