I Wanna Talk as Much as I Want

I'm ambivalent about the use of the filibuster -- historically (and yesterday) it has been used primarily to block worthy legislation, including civil rights and universal health care; yet like any minority right, it can be useful (see Bush administration, appointments by). That's why I'm not too concerned that the Maryland Senate voted to reduce the number of votes needed to break a filibuster from 2/3, the number from four years ago, to 3/5. I'm also not that concerned that a requirement to have every bill have a committee vote was struck down. Is there any legislature anywhere that has this requirement?

That said, did the Senate need to do this? It's not as if the Republicans have been that good at obstruction in the recent past.

UPDATE: Douglas Tallman of the Gazette says the votes were a proxy, at least in the eyes of the GOP, for debates over restrictions on eminent domain.

Tags: maryland senate filibuster