Model Legislation 2010 Journal Adam Hair

Part One: Preparation

Example from rules: Article 1 Instructions to Chairs of Committees – Chairs select bills to be placed on the agenda before their committee. A hearing request form should be sent to the Chair from the author in order to have the bill heard. A copy of the request form should be kept by the author to confirm a form was sent. Chairs may not be able hear all bills sent to their committees. – A majority vote is needed to pass a bill out of committee. – Votes may be taken by voice, show of hands, or roll call. Show of hands and roll call must be counted out loud and announced to the committee. Voice vote is announced by the Chair, but if there is a call for Division, the vote must be taken again by show of hands or roll call. Division must be called before the Chair gavels the announcement with any amendments. – Any member of a committee can request a roll call vote, which must be taken on any motion before the committee that the roll call is requested. The results of the roll call must be recorded in the Committee journal and the results attached to the bill if it passes the committee with any amendments. – Chairs must report to the respective body (Senate bill goes to Senate and House bill goes to House) those bills that have passed their committees. A written report is sent to the Speaker of the House and to President of the Senate. – Any discussion must be through the Chair. No one may speak unless they have been recognized by the Chair. “Mr. Chair” or “Madame Chair” should be used before any comment and no one should proceed until the Chair recognizes them in return by saying “Rep. Smith” or “Senator Smith.” – There may only be one motion before a committee at any one time. – Amendments must be included in the Report to the Rules Committee if they pass with the bill. A vote must be designated by roll call in all bills which appropriate money We prepared for Model Legislation by using two class periods for our own “mini” session. The first order of business for us was to learn the rules so that we were able to oversee the high school students during their session. The opposite side of the page shows an example of the rules that were given to us. It is important to notice that procedure is at the very forefront of the rules.

Keeping Order As we would learn from our practice sessions, keeping order during the discussion of bills was crucial. At first we struggled with speaking through the chair, but by the end of our first night it seemed quite natural to say “Mr., or Madame Chair” before we said anything else. These nights of practice helped a great deal in keeping order with the high school students during their session.

Sample Bill For our preparation we each selected a bill that we would introduce as if it were our own. I chose a bill dealing with driver’s with learner’s permits displaying student driver stickers on their vehicle. I was questioned by my fellow “representatives” for a short period, during which time I got a real good feel for the procedure. My bill prevailed by a voice vote and was sent to the next committee.

Part Two: The Student’s Session Begins

Swearing In Ceremony Students from Winona Senior High and Lewiston Senior High schools being sworn in.

The Secretary of State pays a visit. The swearing in ceremony was made very official as it was led by the Secretary of State for Minnesota, Mark Ritchie.

Committee Meetings The bulk of the first day was spent in committee meetings. Winona State University students served as committee administers and minute takers. Part of our job was to make sure the high school students stayed on track and followed procedure.

Judiciary Committee I worked on the Judiciary Committee. Our group worked in a very professional manner for most of the day. I had to remind my group from time to time to speak through the chair, but for the most part, they followed procedure well. They were right on track when The Secretary of State stopped by.

Participation Our group had a mixed range of participation during the discussions. I could see as time went by that I could count on three or four members of the group to speak up every time. Unfortunately, a few group members were very shy to take part. During one recess I encouraged the quiet students to speak up and let their voice be heard. I was happy that two of those students joined in the discussion when we resumed.

High School Politics in Action During the committee hearings the students that had a good grasp of the rules and procedures clearly had an advantage in getting their bills moved. In one case I noticed my chair using his authority quite adeptly as he struck his gavel quickly and passed a motion that had a very close voice vote before anyone could call “division.” I also noticed a group of students that followed bills around as they were introduced, showing their support for their friends. This undoubtedly influenced the votes.

Social Study Skills at Work During committee hearings the students had to think on their feet to answer questions and persuade others to vote in favor of their bills. I was impressed several times by the range of knowledge that the students showed. Particularly when they referenced current events and politics. The students that had a overall understanding of their bills and factors that may influence the vote did very well in the hearings.

Part Three: Using Model Legislation in the Classroom

Future Use Ideally, as a social studies teacher I would be able to have my class participate fully in the Model Legislation. Depending on logistics that may not be possible. It would not be out of the question to hold a “mini” Model Legislation, similar to what we did in preparation. This could be done with minimal cost and not at the expense of other curriculum.

Future Uses (cont.) Hopefully after a few years classroom of sessions, where results of a good learning experience could be shown, the program could be expanded, or funds to join existing programs could be made available.