"The solution is simple: All bills ..., with their sponsors identified, should be posted online at least 72 hours before the vote. Then all members, and the press and interested citizens, could read the bill and know who sponsored it before it's too late."

The Washington Times
January 8, 2007, p. A17

"Sunlight reforms for Congress"
By Michael Klein and Ellen Miller

[...]
If serious, and required by the moment, Congress will focus on reforms dramatically increasing the transparency of its activities.

Why focus on transparency? Because a major cause of voter mistrust is a feeling special interests are served by those who do their bidding in the belief they will not be detected. The best cure for this is increasing transparency and thus the risk of detection. Louis Brandeis wrote years ago: "Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the best policeman." His wisdom is even more apropos today.
[...]
Here are three powerful transparency reforms that Congress should enact promptly:
[...]
(3) Stop secret, last minute, special interest legislation. Surreptitious earmarks and the late insertions of special interest provisions are the major scourge of Congress' reputation because they invite the perception of corruption. Many present and former members bemoan how often they voted on bills with provisions they hadn't read, when other members used the late hour and sheer weight of legislation to tuck in favors for the people who finance their campaigns, without anyone knowing who did what or why.

The solution is simple: All bills and amendments, with their sponsors identified, should be posted online at least 72 hours before [floor debate begins]. Then all members, and the press and interested citizens, could read the bill and know who sponsored it before it's too late.

[...]

Michael Klein is chairman and Ellen Miller is executive director of the Sunlight Foundation, which advocates more transparent, accountable government.

This blog commends ReadtheBill.org for taking action to fix the problem described by Rep. John Conyers in the film "Farenheit 9/11"

“To me the best reform they could do is have 72 hours between when a bill is printed and when they vote on it so everybody can look at it.”

David Brooks, as guest on ABC NEWS "This Week"
January 8, 2006

Brooks: "Instead, all legislation should be posted online for 72 hours before the vote, so the staff and bloggers can nitpick and expose."

This good piece from 2004 is worth a read. Balko praises the Washington Post op-ed by Rep. Brian Baird on this subject.

Marshall's post from late 2004 is undecided. But he points out that this issue raises the question of whether Democrats can "start acting like a true opposition party."

Written in Nov. 2004, this piece is still valid today.

This great piece from a libertarian perspective connects Hayek's "Iron Law of Oligarchy" with the need for a legislative cooling off period. It's definitely worth reading the whole thing.