BALANCE IN THE HOUSE

With Appleton Rep. Barbara Merrill’s departure this week from the Democratic Party, the Maine House of Representatives falls into a tie, with both major parties at 73 seats, with one Green Party member and now four independents. As a result, House Republicans have called for a greater sharing of power. Their requests, made in a press statement Tuesday, are reasonable and should be accommodated to the extent practical.

Republicans specified three areas of interest; they want equity for partisan staffing, committee assignments and committee chairmanships. Democratic House Speaker John Richardson said he is open to considering these requests and others, and said yesterday that he planned to meet with Republicans this morning over these issues.

The call for equal staffing levels and committee assignments should be easy to accept. The minority party has said for years that it has been hampered by lack of staff. This is a chance to provide adequate resources for it to fully engage in making policy. And because nearly all bills end up before the full House for a vote anyway, the mix of Democrats and Republicans on the committees is not an issue over which to battle.

Equity for committee chairs is a little more complicated. Bringing in new, inexperienced chairmen during the Legislature’s short session could unduly slow down the process. In this instance, legislative leaders of both parties could demonstrate good faith by balancing the appointment of experienced Republicans to chairmanships against the need to keep bills moving. If anything, with Republicans able to control more of the legislative process, Democrats should want the opposing party to carry some of the responsibility for whatever is passed, which holding chairmanships would accomplish.

The departure of three Democrats to become independents – Rep. Merrill joins former Democrats Thomas Saviello of Wilton and Joanne Twomey of Biddeford; Sen. Arthur Mayo of Bath left the GOP for the Democratic Party in 2004 – also demonstrates the weakening of party ties. In the case of Rep. Merrill, who is expected to run as an independent for governor, public financing of campaigns means the party is less important to candidates. Term limits too erode the threat of punishment for those who defect.

The House cannot operate effectively if the speaker must seek the approval of a growing number of individual lawmakers before anything is passed, though it is fair to say the departing Democrats weren’t big believers in party discipline before they left. The new balance in the House may push the major parties to work together more often so that neither is seen as an impediment to lawmakers completing their work. That could be considered progress.