from the as-if-that-makes-a-difference dept
We've seen plenty of governments ban the use of laptops or email devices during governing sessions -- though, the usual reason is to
keep politicians from goofing off when they should be paying attention. However, up in Maine, they've come up with a different reason:
to keep lobbyists from pressuring politicians as they make their votes. This is interesting, because it shows just how far some lobbyists tend to go in pushing their viewpoints on politicians -- but a bigger question is whether or not this even makes any sense? It seems highly unlikely that a last minute email from a lobbyist is going to convince a politician one way or the other. And, if it does, then that should say a lot more about the politician in question than it does about the fact that politicians are allowed to check email while debating and voting on bills.
