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Since we are, as a state, unlikely to either shrink the House, nor pay reps adequately any time soon, it might be worth looking for other ways to make the whole thing work. Personally, my basic problem relative to serving is that I have a regular full-time job (about which I am not complaining). Other people may have other suggestions based on their own particular difficulties. But here are a few off-the-top-of-my-head suggestions, not especially creative, that might make it at least possible for me to keep my job and also run for office, someday.
1) Meet on Saturday. I'm told the committment during the legislative session is at least one day for voting and one for committee work. Fine, but make one of those days a weekend.
2) Allow electronic or remote voting. This is probably a better alternative than weekend sessions, although they're not mutually exclusive.
3) Allow absentee or proxy voting.
4) Hold discussions during the day, and all votes in the evening, after 7pm.
5) Mix and match. Hold minor or standard votes as they are now, some votes in the evenings or electronically, and really big votes on saturdays.
5) For committe work, have a few committees with all-electronic meetings. (You can do wonders with a phone, a chat room, and a wiki.)
All right, I'm out of ideas sooner than I thought. Still, maybe there's something here worth discussing. No need to keep riding horses to Concord when it's not 1825 anymore.
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