Restore power balance on conference panels

Some lawmakers are "more equal" than others, and that certainly goes for the conference committee chairs who preside over meetings where differences between House and Senate bills are hashed out.

For the past three years, these crucial committees have operated under the rule that says the two chairs — House and Senate — hold absolute veto power. That means either chair can kill a bill even if it's been approved by a majority vote.

Granted, their power has dwindled slightly since a bipartisan group of lawmakers successfully amended the rules to allow a majority of committee members to override the chair's veto. And to a degree, it is only human as well as politically wise to defer to the experience and wisdom of the chair.

But as Larry Meacham, legislative liaison for the American Civil Liberties Union, points out, committee members almost never go against their chairs.

This year again, some lawmakers are objecting to a conference committee chair's disproportionate clout, saying it's anti-democratic.

And it's hard to disagree. It's bad enough when the leaders of standing committees squelch debate on important legislation. It's equally frustrating when a popular measure clears a slew of legislative obstacles only to hit a wall in conference committee that the majority didn't even put up.

Sen. Les Ihara is set to introduce a resolution to prohibit the veto rule. Lawmakers should support it if they want to help restore the public trust in government.

Correction: Larry Meacham is legislative liaison for the American Civil Liberties Union. He was misidentified in a previous version of this editorial.