The Rules They Are A-Changin'

The rules for the state Assembly (or the Senate, for that matter) are rarely the stuff of news. They're the arcane procedural minutiae that govern how the chamber runs. But this week those rules became a topic of intense partisan debate. While majority Republicans said they were making rule changes to accomdate needs of a disabled Democratic lawmaker, Democrats, including the lawmaker in question, said the moves were nothing but a power grab. It was a rowdy rulemaking rumble. In case you missed the headlines: Republicans Propose Rule Change For Disabled Lawmaker, Gubernatorial Veto Overrides 'Drunk With Power': State Assembly Approves Gubernatorial Veto Change