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[LSNN] Opinion Editorial: "High Stakes, Low Bar" by Ms. Chloe Knight


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Opinion editorials do not reflect the perspective of LSNN as a whole nor its management board. Opinion editorials may be submitted by citizens of all walks of life, all political perspectives, and all points of view and are reviewed only for conflicts of interest and appropriateness within LSNN content guidelines and journalistic ethics. Opinion Editorials may be responsive to news stories or even other Op-Eds and you may submit them to us at our

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High Stakes, Low Bar 

BY CHLOE KNIGHT, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR STATE SENATE

 

 

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Chloe Knight, second to the right, seated at the Political Reform Act hearing. 

 

Tonight I sat in the gallery as Republican and Democratic Senators mulled over the details of Senate Bill N. 03 'Political Reform Act'. As a legislative advisor to Senator Gabriela Morales, I've been dissecting and taking notes for consideration on this bill for quite a while now. Something glared at me the first time I read it. I emailed my boss immediately about it. In Chapter III Section II(a) of the bill as it was submitted for consideration, the bill authored by Republican Senators Frank Ernst and Daniel Cardenas (co-written by Cecil Grosvenor) contained the following text:

Quote

(a) Candidates shall only accept a minimum of $50,000 per donation by an individual, business or any other organization per election cycle.


Now, there's going to be a wave of Republicans citing this as a simple typo. However, it was my notes on the legislation that moved Senator Morales to bring up this section during committee last night. The Republicans seemed to have no interest in doing so until called out. Here's the problem.


If this section had been left unaltered which, for all intents and purposes it seems like it was meant to be overlooked and left, citizens by law would be allowed to only contribute to a campaign if their donation contributed $50,000 or more. That's one hell of a typo. More startling is what happened when Senator Morales aired the issue. The GOP senators present, along with Mr. Grosvenor, read from the wrong section and forced her time to be used up by them trying to determine what section of the bill was being taken issue with.


During Senator Morales' time speaking, Senator Ernst - President of the Senate, mind you all - left his chair to whisper with other Republican Senator Ethan Schmidt. Words exchanged that would not be taken on the record. Frank Ernst and Ethan Schmidt would continue to whisper back and forth repeatedly throughout the night. Afterwards, the same issue regarding a $50,000 minimum donation was brought up by Senator Schmidt and - like by magic! - Mr. Grosvenor and Senator Ernst seemed to finally understand what was being talked about! Heroically, a Republican Senator was able to fix this 'typo' on the bill when a Democrat had already tried to do so.

 

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This doesn't just speak to the Political Reform Act. This all speaks to the Republican Party and their endemic corruption, electioneering, need for 'wins' over good policy, and a genuinely potential attempt to disenfranchise poor voters who would like to make donations to candidates smaller than $50,000.


The stakes are never higher before an election than when election reform is being talked about. The integrity of our electoral process is at stake here and the Republican bill was ready to be pushed through with either absolute neglect in how it was written at best, or a blatant attempt to tell the poor to 'sit down and shut up' at worst.


We can do better. Los Santos, and the State of San Andreas as a whole deserves better than this. The corruption of Oswald Halford lingers within the Republican party, and last night's committee hearing makes that clearer than ever.


I ask voters to keep this in mind when they hit the polls. Senator Morales asked Frank Ernst last night why we need to fix his bill for him. That's a powerful question. The choice is clear, folks. Democrats are here to work for you, and Republicans are here to work for 'wins' and optics.

 

 

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Edited by LSNN
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Username: KZarnavic
Comment: The irony - this piece of idiocy is written by a person, who is calling people, who do not agree with her way to protest mentally unstable. She has done it now many times. Yesterday, Chloe came to Monroe's, a small business, and when she saw me, she said some profanities and ran out. Is that a person, who really should be a senator - to work for all people, who calls her opponents mentally unstable? My answer is "no" and I will do anything in my power to stop that person. 

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2 hours ago, Tsarna said:

Username: KZarnavic
Comment: The irony - this piece of idiocy is written by a person, who is calling people, who do not agree with her way to protest mentally unstable. She has done it now many times. Yesterday, Chloe came to Monroe's, a small business, and when she saw me, she said some profanities and ran out. Is that a person, who really should be a senator - to work for all people, who calls her opponents mentally unstable? My answer is "no" and I will do anything in my power to stop that person. 

 

Username: Noah_Gashi

Comment: Shut the fuck up you fascist lol

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Username: TheRealCarrySaunders

Comment: You're all here to talk and not to listen. Matter of fact the amazing senate hall is designed in a way they conveniently are so far from the audience and from each other they can't hear half. One way to keep in touch with the common folks, eh!

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