The Republican memo

Just as Democrats had a memo that set some people’s teeth on edge, the Republicans have circulated a memo, too, outlining their general strategy for the upcoming legislative session. According to the RTD headline, it’s all about the GOP being “miffed”:

To counter the Democratic strategy, Cox said Republicans should promote “policy initiatives that contrast with the liberal policies being promoted by our Democratic colleagues and the administration.”

Republicans, Cox said, “must remain focused on offering conservative solutions” on issues like job opportunities, access to quality schools, safe communities, reliable transportation and “government that works.”

Fair enough, but this hardly rises to the level of “miffed.” Do we have specifics?

Under “Regulatory reform,” Cox hinted at planned legislation “to place checks and balances on the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) by requiring the governor to seek General Assembly approval before complying with federal regulations.

Republicans, the memo said, will also introduce measures to require such approval on regulations that have an “adverse impact on economic growth, private sector job creation or employment, and/or significantly increases compliance or regulatory cost.”

Cox also laid out ideas for “conservative reforms” of the state’s public education system, from K-12 to higher education. Among them is a measure that would cap student athletic fees “that inflate student costs without a direct tie to their academic return.”

Hmmm. It all sounds very familiar. There’s nothing wrong with railing against federal regulations — it’s as old as the Republic. The checks and balances thing, though, is something for Congress to do. And yes, Congress has largely refused to carry out this responsibility for years. How bad have things gotten?

Congress passed and the president signed into law 129 Public Laws in 2014, as I’ve derived from the Government Publishing Office’s archive of Public Laws. There had been 72 laws in 2013. So 201 is the total for the 113th Congress.

We know the LA Times, Rolling Stone, New York Times and Washington Post, all wish there were more laws.

Wish granted.

Congress may have passed “only” 129 Public Laws this year before Obama’s Hawaii trip, but federal agencies are always there to take up slack.

And they did; agencies issued 3,541 rules and regulations in 2014, by my preliminary count.

That’s 27 rules and regulations for every law.

That’s not even counting the pen and phone and other regulatory dark matter that are rising in prominence like bulletins, guidance documents, blog posts and press conferences that amount to “law” in their own right.

Congress provides the framework, the bureaucracy does the rest. With gusto. Congress, occasionally, gets its back up and questions some rules and regulations, making a great show of doing so. And then the cycle repeats.

That General Assembly Republicans believe they can take it upon themselves to act as the check and balance Congress refuses to be, then, can be seen as admirable. Or a mark of frustration. Or, for the truly cynical, merely as campaign brochure fodder. Take your pick.

On the specific issue of public education, we have a somewhat more detailed look at Republican aims in this op-ed from Del. Steve Landes. Much of this is boilerplate, but in addition to further tweaking of the SOL tests, there are a few items of note:

Del. Tag Greason (R-Loudoun) is proposing legislation to reduce bureaucracy and red tape in the school accreditation process by eliminating a one-size-fits-all requirement for every school to seek re-accreditation every year. Good schools with a long track record of success will be required to seek re-accreditation every three to five years. Struggling schools will still be required to meet the current standards.

In addition, I expect the House to advance several other important reforms. I have legislation to enhance and protect student privacy. Del. Dave LaRock (R-Loudoun) will carry legislation to give at-risk students better options for their education. Legislation to better integrate the state’s workforce development plan with career and technical education in our high schools will also be introduced. Del. Dickie Bell (R-Staunton) will once again carry a bill allowing our students more access to full-time virtual education classes.

So more tweaking, a move toward limited school choice and an effort to make kids into the workers of tomorrow.

None of this strikes me as particularly bold (that would be universal school choice), but it’s all geared toward making things “better,” so take that, Democrats.

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