In 1998, the legislature unanimously passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 82 to annually honor the approval of the Bill of Rights.  Per SCR 82, we are to read aloud the Bill of Rights on the first legislative day after December 15.  That would be today.  My request to read the Bill of Rights was denied by the Speakers office.

At first I thought that the majority Democrats' denial of SCR 82's requirement to read the Bill of Rights on the floor was due to the fact that they would be too busy with the debate on the budget crisis and big tax increases - afterall, we have read the Bill of Rights before.

But, as we were waiting around for an hour for business to start, I realized it wasn't for lack of time.

Then, when the Speaker Pro Tem introduced a delegation from Communist China, I really knew we weren't reading the Bill of Rights for lack of time.

The California Legislature: The Bill of Rights, no; Tax increases, yes; Communist China, yes.