Could Adam Clayton Power IV be a Libertarian in Democrat’s clothing? I suspect it’s safe to answer no. Still, it’s refreshing to see a New York politician who would rather not introduce any new laws:
For the last three years, an East Harlem assemblyman, Adam Clayton Powell IV, has stood out for his streak of inactivity.
Of the thousands of bills introduced this year, Mr. Powell can take credit for not a single one. If Mr. Powell doesn’t introduce a bill in the next month, he will have made it through three consecutive session years without acting as the prime sponsor of any piece of legislation, according to a legislative database.
The other law-happy assembly members may laugh at him, but Powell has the crazy notion that new legislation isn’t all that.
“There’s much more to being a strong leader than how many insignificant bills you introduce,” Mr. Powell said. “There seems to be a race among the media and political pundits as to who will introduce the most bills.”
Mr. Powell also argued he was behaving in a fiscally responsible way, noting: “Each bill we introduce costs thousands of dollars.”
Three cheers for Powell’s moratorium on new laws. Now if he takes the next step and tries to repeal some old laws, I’ll give him a standing ovation.