Why 'Ways and Means' is funny
Mention of the state Senate's Ways and Means Committee is likely to prompt giggles from legislative insiders. Here's why.
Posted — UpdatedCase in point was the announcement from Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Henderson, on Wednesday that "The Ways and Means Committee will not be meeting this week."
The provoked guffaws and chuckles from longtime lawmakers and lobbyists and looks of bemusement for those not in the know.
Here's the joke: The Ways and Means Committee never meets. Ever. Or at least so seldom that nobody can remember a time.
Currently, the three-member committee is made up of Apodaca, Sen. Andrew Brock, R-Davie, and Sen. Terry Van Duyn, D-Buncombe.
There was a long-standing joke among Democratic leaders who controlled the chamber before 2011 that the Ways and Means Committee would take up all the bills assigned to it during its next meeting.
Asked about the committee on Wednesday, Apodaca said that, when next it does meet, he hopes to bring former chairman Sen. Charlie Dannelly, D-Mecklenburg, back as an honorary cochairman.
Some final bits of trivia:
- The state House does not have a Ways and Means Committee, but it used to and it used to do work, handling a hodgepodge of bills that senior leaders thought needed a second look or special attention.
- Ways and Means should not be confused with the Rules Committee, which does meet on a fairly regular basis. An assignment to the Rules Committee can mean any number of things, from top legislators holding on to a bill for safekeeping to a bill being on a fast track to anything in between.
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