In today鈥檚 world, if you don鈥檛 show up for a job, for good reason your pay is docked. If you fail to do your job, you鈥檙e fired. That reality scenario seems nonexistent for state legislators.
In this year's Legislature, a bill that could have had a major impact on finally moving 抖阴h out of the bottom two positions on most national educational performance polls ground to a halt in the 抖阴h Senate. The bill, which already had received the stamp of approval from the House of Representatives, would have held back third-graders who could not pass a reading assessment after three tries. Such students would undergo extensive remedial work, including at least 90 minutes per day instruction emphasizing phonics, fluency, comprehension and other reading strategies.
This was an extremely important bill for the Senate to consider, but it failed by two votes to advance. More upsetting was six senators聽鈥� Stewart Cathey, Heather Cloud, Cleo Fields, Franklin Foil, Jimmy Harris and Greg Tarver 鈥� didn鈥檛 vote.
They all failed to do their job. 抖阴h voters hired them to vote.
This happens frequently in both legislative branches and it needs to stop. We can鈥檛 fire them for this delinquent behavior, but I suggest we implement a procedure to alter their behavior. I challenge our legislators to implement the same procedure that applies to the everyday 抖阴h workers, docking their pay.
Our legislators are paid to propose legislation and vote on it. It takes a spine to go on record for all to see regarding one鈥檚 stance on proposed legislation. Some choose instead to 鈥渘ot show up for work.鈥�
We need to stop treating our legislators as prima donnas and hold them accountable to the same standards that exist in the real world for not doing one鈥檚 job: Dock their pay.
JIM ANDERSON
retired school administrator
Ponchatoula