North Carolina Legislative Building (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)

Everyone knows the state legislature must operate under a set of parliamentary rules and procedures. After all, maintaining order in a large group of opinionated and talkative politicians is no easy feat.

That said, when the rules become so numerous, complex and restrictive that they make majority rule effectively impossible, they’ve gone too far and right now, that’s the case in the North Carolina House of Representatives.

Last week, House leaders rolled out their new state budget proposal in a series of appropriations subcommittees and, at least in theory, opened it up to debate and amendment.

Unfortunately, there was catch: a long list of restrictive rules that barred even the consideration of most meaningful amendments.

For example, no amendment to spend additional dollars was allowed unless it reduced another line item from a very restricted list by the same amount – even if a majority of lawmakers wanted to do so.

The bottom line: In representative government, the majority is supposed to rule. In the North Carolina House a list of anti-democratic restrictions make sure that’s not the case.

For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.