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Is it possible for a bill to create more buzz in death than in life? That’s a pretty tall order, especially with an important bill such as HB 570. But we caused quite an uproar yesterday and today with the post about its missing PBI vote.

Delegate Sal Iaquinto’s (R-84, Virginia Beach) bill wold have made the burden of proof an equal share between homeowners and assessors in assessment appeal cases. Several blogs picked up on it, including our friends Norman Leahy and Lynn Mitchell at Tertium Quids and SWAC Girl, respectively. Even though the vote was taken a couple weeks ago, the bill’s home page yesterday reflected a “Left In Committee” inaction by the Senate Finance Committee, even though the world knew it got plenty of action as committee liberals sunk it on a straight party line vote (a motion to “Pass By Indefinitely”). We reported the whole affair here along with the video of the entire committee debate and vote, yet the vote was taken down as if the world wouldn’t find out.

“Left In Committee” has a totally different meaning than PBI. It means that the bill was never given a hearing and the patron never had the opportunity to introduce the bill. There’s a big difference between a committee shirking its responsibility by not voting and in hiding its vote (that its members sought office to cast and for which they get paid to make). Not that one is worse than the other, there’s just a big difference between the two.

Just a few minutes ago, however, I received an update on HB 570 from the Legislative Information System. An unexpected update yesterday verified another twist in this dead bill’s life. Sure enough, voila! Just like David Copperfield (again) it appeared! So, if seeing the (video) isn’t believing, it’s now official with the vote listed here. Our disinfectant (this blog) did a little good as it turns out.

Earlier today, it must be said, at a meeting with another conservative organization, an ally relayed what she was told by someone either at LIS or from the Finance Committee staff: That since a vote to PBI doesn’t technically kill a bill, it was still alive, thus the vote was not posted online until it was past time upon which official action could be taken. But this explanation still doesn’t make sense.

A PBI vote kills a bill. If it is to be resurrected, it must be done so with a motion to reconsider. For that, the public needs to know how the vote went because only a member from the prevailing side can ask for such a motion. Either the bill was killed, and the people have a right to know who voted which way, or it was technically still alive and citizens need to know who to approach to try to save it. Furthermore, yesterday was the last day for committee action on bills. No matter the rationalization, the committee vote should have been posted within 24 hours of the meeting and not taken down. Just more games politicians used to get away with.

I was wondering why Legislative Information Services sent me an update on HB 570, a bill to give homeowners a level playing field when appealing their property assessments. After all, it was killed in the Senate Finance Committee about two weeks ago. I was so unconcerned, I didn’t even look at it. Then, because of totally unrelated events, a fellow blogger told me one of her readers was concerned because he heard his senator voted “no” on the bill — and was trying to find verification. I thought the senator in question voted correctly, but thought I’d double check. Simple enough. I’ll just e-mail her the link to the committee vote.

I went to the bill page and — better than David Copperfield — the vote had disappeared! Instead of the vote to “Pass By Indefinitely,” (a polite phrase for killing a bill), the last action now says, “Left In Committee.” In a way, that’s worse, because it looks like the committee shirked its responsibility to give all bills a fair hearing. Regardless, the Senate Finance Committee literally expunged its vote (see here)! What cowardice and disregard for representative government!

What’s really dumbfounding is that whoever made the decision to expunge the vote should’ve known that an LIS update would go out. That alone would send up a red flag. But most of all, they should remember this:

The Finance Committee thought it could expunge its deplorable vote in favor of government rights over taxpayer rights. But we have the video evidence here!

We recorded that committee hearing (and wrote about it here)! No escaping it liberal senators. Here it is, live and in color. Sound is pretty good, too. Simply fast forward to the end and see hear the vote. They’re all there: Saslaw, Whipple, Miller, et al, the Who’s Who of Big Government voting for government prosperity over individual rights.

This has not been a distinguished time for the Virginia Senate. First, it changed the ratio of committee assignments way out of proportion; then, it tried to re-refer bills out of committees without a vote; then, it changed the rules in mid-stream, to let sub-committees kill bills; followed by setting up a special Courts of Justice sub-committee the last week of session solely to kill particular bills the rest of the committee supports; and now, it’s expunging vote records! Your lawmakers at work.