Committee Chooses Gov’t Employees Over Taxpayers – Gives Becker’s Bill a Do Not Pass Recommendation

February 14, 2017 T. Arthur Mason North Dakota

Last Friday the House Government & Veteran’s Affairs Committee gave a 14-0 Do Not Pass recommendation to Rep. Rick Becker’s (R – District 7) House Bill 1168. If passed, this bill would not allow public employees to "be reimbursed for expenses or be compensated by the public entity employing the individual, other than for personal leave taken, for time spent at or traveling to or from a session of the legislative assembly".

The exceptions to the bill would rest on the public employee being asked by the legislative assembly to testify or their being "requested to attend the meeting by the head of the state agency, department, or institution employing the individual to provide information on behalf of the agency, department, or institution."

The bill is straightforward to me. In a nutshell it places the same requirement on public employees that now rests on the shoulder’s of the rest of us. If you want to be part of the process, testify at committee hearings, etc.; you pay your own way.

Just think of it. Your tax dollars could potentially go to reimburse or compensate a public employee who may testify in opposition to a bill you support.

Our system of government is supposed to favor the people, not the bureaucrats that we employ. Unfortunately, the Government & Veteran’s Affairs Committee disagrees.

The bill will likely come up for a vote on the House floor this afternoon.

Facebook Comments
About T. Arthur Mason 878 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

Related Articles