The Legislative Committee Hearing

Obviously, not all legislative committee chairs think alike. The Chairpersons, not the things on which they place their butts. Some committee meetings run like clockwork. The business gets done, everybody gets to have their say. Some committee meetings run like hell. Half the bills get delayed while some testifier or legislator is allowed to talk on an on. So here is my question: is it best to have all the discussion out in the open? My democratic mind thinks so. But my art-of-meeting mind says otherwise. While sitting in a hearing yesterday, I had so much wished that a good part of the work had been accomplished prior to the committee hearing's start. Get your ducks in order, talk to colleagues and your testifiers, and then get back to clockwork.