Let’s get the important bit out of the way. The Speaker’s office should not tell you what the priorities are. You should tell us. Then, it is our job to make sure the process supports getting the results you want. If you identify a caucus position on a bill and it fails by one, I vote to put it over the top. I have before when presiding, and I will again. The other part is that the Speaker is technically a non partisan office. Your achievements get more support and credibility when we paint them in non partisan terms. It’s an art and I will work hard to get you the credit you deserve. Having said that, people want my positions and priorities. I have a 16 year voting record, but here are some highlights of where I think we need to focus.
No income tax. End of conversation
2nd Amendment – “Shall not be infringed” is not a hard phrase to understand. I’m happy to explain it to people who don’t get it.
Checks on government power – We (the Legislature) have given away a lot of power to the Executive branch and state agencies. It’s time to take it back, starting with overhauling the JLCAR process where rules are approved. Currently, agencies can run the clock out and get what they want. We need to get to a place where “NO” mean NO.
Government spending – I will set an example by making General Court spending open and transparent. Tens of millions of dollars fly out of here. New Senate offices, Granite Place, new furniture, a 70 million dollar garage, electronic bathroom door locks. I’m not saying these things did not need to be done, but it is time to pump the brakes. Hard. Currently, House operations don’t report line items to Finance. If we are going to ask others to tighten belts during the budget process, we need to clean our own house first. In our next budget cycle, I will expect agencies and the Governor to explicitly make the case why any spending measure is necessary.
Medical freedom – I want government red tape out of the way. Take a look at Medical Freedom Act
Parental rights – It’s a shame that we have to pass laws giving parents back their rights, but we do. As we see school counselors, teachers, and agencies calling them “our children”, we need to continue working hard to set a culture shift away from state raised kids. They aren’t government kids, they are your kids.
Right to repair – So, you bought a new car? That’s awesome. Too bad it isn’t yours. You can be forced to have a dealer work on it. You can be prohibited from working on it yourself. Why bother buying? This happens in many industries including farm equipment. It is time to fix this. If I buy it, it’s mine and I will do what I want to it. I’ll get it fixed where I want. Many states are afraid to take on the feds by passing strong right to repair laws. I have successfully passed several bills that were a first. In one case, first in the nation. We need to stop worrying and do this. No guts, no glory.
What else do you want to see here?
Steve
Steven Smith for Speaker 