Professor Cassell (“Lessons on legislating …”, April 4) makes an excellent case for treating laws as if they are to be taken literally, instead of speculating what legislators might have intended. His advice — “Mean what you say” — is eminently sensible.
Unfortunately, I suspect that legislators these days do not even know what a proposed law says before they are called upon to vote on it. Legislation is increasingly massive, multi-faceted, and often revised at the last possible moment. Legislators are not given time to read the final version or to consult; they can only ask their aides to check that the major concerns of their donors are adequately reflected. Prime recent examples are the bill to repeal Obamacare, the tax reform bill and, locally, the travesty of the Inland Port legislation annexing nearly one-third of Salt Lake City (in 17 minutes).
Let’s restore integrity to the process. Bills should be available well in advance, public input should be solicited and conflicting viewpoints reconciled. Then, perhaps the public might regain trust in legislators instead of reading about a bill the day after it is passed and wondering cynically what its purpose is, and who it is designed to benefit.
Richard Middleton, Salt Lake City