Last chance to defeat OHPA Partisan Election Bill in committee: an updated opinion

Submitted by Mike Harrison
March 30, 2015 8:30 a.m.

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The FLAC meeting may not be ‘noticed’ until later on Monday, but I have spoken with Staff who assure me that the next meeting is on Wednesday April 1, and that HB 1201 will be on the agenda. Thanks for your help.

PrintThe Federal and Local Affairs Committee meeting is our last chance to defeat HB 1201 which seeks to make Partisan the elections to the Ocean Highway and Port Authority. It meets on Wednesday April 1 at 9:00 am and consists of 11 Republicans and 6 Democrats. Votes thus far have been along party lines, so I think we can count on most of the Democrats voting HB 1201 down. So we only need to get 3 or 4 of the Republicans to rise above the party line and support the idea that Partisan elections will not help either OHPA or the Port and we have 9 votes – a majority.

On Tuesday, I’ll be spending the day meeting with as many of the committee members as I can to make the point that the OHPA needs all of the electorate to participate, both to provide more candidates and to reduce the unhealthy estrangement that has developed between OHPA and the community.

May I ask Fernandina Observer readers who are opposed to Partisan elections for the OHPA to express their feelings to the FLAC members. They are:

[email protected]
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(Names in italics are Democrats; those in regular font are Republicans.)

The best time to send these e-mails is between now and 9:00 am Tuesday

imagesMike Harrison is a resident of Old Town and a member of the city’s Historic District Council. He and his wife Jennifer are actively engaged in many civic endeavors to improve their neighborhood and the city.

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Andrew Curtin
Andrew Curtin(@bkdriverajcgmail-com)
8 years ago

Of course,one never knows what will come out of anything coming before the legislature.However,I would hope they will have the good sense to retain partisan voting in the case of the OHPA electoral process.

Steven Crounse
Steven Crounse (@guest_31753)
8 years ago

Andrew, Good sense? Is it good sense to muzzle 30 to 40% of the electorate by choosing your representatives in a closed primary of ether party. Why don’t we eliminate are two party system of Government? This democracy stuff is so messy. I know, we can all it Communism.