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THREE BRANCHES OF WASHINGTON STATE GOVERNMENT

THREE BRANCHES OF WASHINGTON STATE GOVERNMENT. Executive Gov. Mansion. Judicial Supreme Court . The Legislative (House and Senate) Capitol Bldg. The Legislative Branch. The Legislative House of Representatives and Senate. How a Bill Becomes a Law. Fortunately it’s not simple.

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THREE BRANCHES OF WASHINGTON STATE GOVERNMENT

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  1. THREE BRANCHES OF WASHINGTON STATE GOVERNMENT Executive Gov. Mansion Judicial Supreme Court The Legislative (House and Senate) Capitol Bldg.

  2. The Legislative Branch The Legislative House of Representatives and Senate

  3. How a Bill Becomes a Law Fortunately it’s not simple

  4. There are many points in the process where the public can be involved.

  5. Bills must be sponsored by a legislator • A Legislator works with constituents, citizen groups, lobbyists, government agencies, and staff to move from an “idea” to a bill.

  6. Yes, even young people can be involved! • Be careful what you wish for, kid... • At age 11, a Seattle little boy named Alex Jonlin, wanting to give his peers a voice in state government, gathered hundreds of signatures on a petition to create a youth board to advise state lawmakers. He lobbied for his bill, which local Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, agreed to sponsor. • After a year and the usual hearings, lawmakers said OK. But the House of Representatives made one key change: membership on this board was limited to those 14 and older. • Alex was 12.

  7. SB 5254 In 2005 a bill was introduced, because of youth effort, and the Washington State Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) became a reality. In 2009 it became permanent and was allowed to solicit funding.

  8. Legal Language • Bills are typically researched and written by legislative staff. • Code Reviser’s Office puts the bill into final legal language.

  9. Sponsors seek support from other members • “Co-sponsors” also sign the bill. • Sponsor drops the bill in a box called the “hopper” and the bill gets a number.

  10. Every bill must have three READINGS in each chamber.

  11. First READINGS Begins the Process and bills are assigned to committee.

  12. How many days in a session? 105 days in odd years; 60 days in even years

  13. Cut-off calendars Odd Numbered Year Even Numbered Year

  14. House bills start with HB & are numbered 1000s - 3000s. Senate bills start with SB and are numbered 5000s & 6000s. How do you distinguish Senate bills from House bills?

  15. Legislators usually sit on three committees

  16. Committees 2013-14 House Senate • Agriculture & Natural Resources • Appropriations • Business & Financial Services • Capital Budget • Community Dev., Housing & Tribal Affairs • Early Learning & Human Services • Education • Education Appropriations & Oversight • Environment • Finance • Gov. Accountability & Oversight • Gov. Operations & Elections • Health Care & Wellness • Higher Education • Judiciary • Labor & Workforce Dev. • Local Government • Public Safety • Technology & Economic Dev. • Transportation • RULES • Agriculture Water & Rural Economic Dev. • Commerce & Labor • Early Learning & K-12 Ed • Energy, Environment, & Telecommunications • Financial Institutions, Housing & Insurance • Gov. Operations • Health Care • Higher Education • Human Services & Corrections • Law and Justice • Natural Resources & Parks • Trade and Economic Dev. • Transportation • Ways & Means • RULES

  17. Committees Reflect the Issues of the Time • Post War Planning • 1945 • Public Morals • 1909 - 1954 • Community Security • 2002 Can you guess when these committees existed?

  18. Standing Committees • Hold public hearings. • Study & debate bills. • Recommend bills be amended and/or passed.

  19. Public Hearings

  20. Bill Report Bill Reports are often easier for the general public to read and understand than the actual bill. But they are a summary with background information and not the actual and legal wording of the bill. Actual Bill

  21. Fiscal Committees • Bills appropriating money (e.g. budget bills) • Bills affecting revenue (e.g. tax bills) • Policy bills costing state or local governments money

  22. Governor Proposes a budget based on the Revenue Forecast. Mission Statement To promote state government financial stability by producing an accurate forecast of economic activity and General Fund revenue for the legislature and the governor to be used as the basis of the state budget.

  23. FISCAL.WA.GOV

  24. In odd numbered year it will be the Biennial Budget. In an even number year, the Supplemental Budget What budget will be considered in an odd numbered year?

  25. Rules Committee • Determine bills that move to consideration by full House or Senate • No testimony • No amendments

  26. Who presides over the Rules Committees? Lt. Governor, President of the Senate Speaker of the House

  27. Back to the Floor for Second Reading • Amendments are voted on during 2nd reading.

  28. Third Reading • Final Debate • Final Passage

  29. Opposite Chamber-Repeat the Process • Standing committee, Fiscal Committee, Rules Committee • Floor Action

  30. Post – Committee ActionAmend. By Opposite House • Concurrence • Conference Committees

  31. There are many points in the process where bills may “die.”Many bills are reintroduced for several years before they are refined enough to make it through the entire process. This is how the process was designed to work.

  32. Progress of 2011-2012 Bills

  33. About 20 % of the bills introduced passed the Legislature the 2011-12 biennium.

  34. Bill goes to the Governor • Governor’s signature • Governor’s full or partial veto • No Action Governor Inslee

  35. 2011-2012 Gubernatorial Vetos • About 20 % of bills passed • About 8% of those passed were vetoed or partially vetoed

  36. True or False: The governor may veto a bill by failing to take action within 20 days. False No pocket veto. If bill passes during session, Governor has 5 days to sign or it becomes law. At the end of session the Governor has 20 days (excluding Sundays).

  37. Fiscal Comm. Idea Bill Committee Intro-1st Reading Conference Opposite chamber- repeat process 3rd Reading - passage Rules Comm. 2nd Reading & Amd Governor State Law (RCW)

  38. 2013-14 Legislative Youth Advisory Council

  39. You are here as students to learn this process. Please think about this quote. Senator Alan Simpson [R-WY], Congressional Record, September 1996. “Cynicism is a cop-out. It takes no virtue – or brains – to be a critic. Anyone can qualify. … Skepticism, on the other hand, is essential to the functioning of a representative democracy. “

  40. As citizen have COURAGE: Take Pride in your LEGISLATURE

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