Proposition 11 - Legislative Vote Records Amendment

Public Has Right to Know
Recording final votes on almost all matters provides the public with a record of how their representatives voted.

Written records of votes provides accountability and a way to evaluate a Senator or Representative's performance.

Internet is Easy Access
Putting voting records on the Internet makes information more readily accessible to the voters.

It Doesn't Go Far Enough
Much of the important voting happens before the final vote. This amendment does not go far enough in making voting records at all stages accessible to the public. The public should have the ability to see how senators and representatives are voting during the entire legislative process.

Exempting certain local bills from the record vote requirement means that there may be no record of voting on legislation -- such as the creation of special districts -- that may be important to certain locales.

By passing this current amendment which only requires a record of the final votes on a piece of legislation, it may make it difficult to generate interest in a more comprehensive requirement of voting records.

Unnecessary, Potential Harmful to the Process
Most votes are already recorded on final passage making the amendment mostly unnecessary.

Requiring a record vote on uncontroversial bills will simply take up time, delay proceedings, and won't provide the public with any meaningful information.

Requiring a record vote could put a damper on the process of negotiation and compromise involved in the legislative process.