How do Ideas Become Laws

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How do Ideas Become Laws?

• The legislative process in Missouri
• State Representative David Day
• 148th District of Missouri

2
Who are the people we will be talking about?

• The Speaker of the House
• The Speaker of the House sends bills to
  committees and presides over House meetings.
• The President of the Senate
• The Speaker of the Senate is responsible for
  presiding over Senate meetings and setting the
  Senates agenda.
• Governor
• The Governor is supposed to make sure that state
  agencies and departments run effectively. He is
  also responsible for appointing state officials
  that are not elected by the people.

3
And in the Beginning

• A lawmaker or constituent comes up with an idea
  for a new law.
• What is a constituent?
• A constituent is an American citizen that a
  Representative or Senator is representing.

4
Now Research..

• Research much be done to see if the new idea
• Meets the requirements of the Constitution?
• The Constitution is known as the Supreme Law of
  the Land. This means that a law cannot be
  passed that changes, or goes against what has
  already been written in the Constitution.

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More Research

• If the idea does not conflict with the
  Constitution, we must make sure that the idea
  does not conflict with any other laws that
  already exist.
• Then we must see if there are groups and
  organizations in America that would support this
  idea.

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If so, then

• The idea is drawn up into a bill and filed with
  the Chief Clerks Office.
• It is sent to the Speaker of the House where
  he/she has two options
• The Speaker may choose to reject, or sit on the
  bill, which means it is DEAD
• Or he/she can send the bill to a Committee
  Chairman

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If the Speaker Sends it on

• The Committee Chairman receives the bill and now
  he/she has a decision to make.
• The Chairman can sit on the bill to keep it
  from going any farther. The bill is then known
  as being DEAD.
• Or the Chairman may send the bill onto committee
  to be discussed.

8
The committee has three choices

• The committee can amend (or change) the bill
• The committee can decide to reject, or veto the
  bill. If the bill is vetoed, it is known as being
  DEAD.
• Or the committee can pass the bill
• If the committee passes the bill it is sent to
  the House Majority Floor Leader

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Now the Floor Leader has many decisions

• Does he/she schedule it for debate on the floor?
  If so
• How much debate time does it get?
• Is it a priority?
• What time of day does it get scheduled for, it
  makes a difference.
• If the bill is not scheduled for debate
• It is DEAD

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OKit is going to be debated on the Floor

• On the floor three things can happen, it can
• Pass the House with changes made to the bill
• Fail on the floor which means it is DEAD
• Or pass on the Floor
• So if it passes the House, are we done?
• NOOOOOOOOOOO

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On to the Senate

• In the Senate
• ALL of what you just went through happens again.
  The bill goes through
• The Senate President
• Committee Chairman
• Committee
• Senate Floor Leader
• And the Senate.
• And again, at any of these places the bill can be
  killed.making it DEAD!

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After the Senate

• If the bill needs to be changed in any way, it
  goes to Conference Committee. After those
  changes are made, the bill is sent back to the
  Senate and the House for final votes.
• IF it passes both chambers a final timeoff to
  the Governors Office. There the Governor has
  two choices.

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Sign the bill or VETO

• If the Governor signs the bill, it is then the
  new law of the land.
• The Governor may choose not to sign the bill,
  which means he vetoes that bill.
• If the Governor vetos the billwell here we go
  again.
• The bill then goes back to the House and Senate
  during Veto Session. If enough members vote for
  the bill, it is law, if notit is DEAD!

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Pretty simple?...HUH?

• Now you know that there are many steps for an
  idea to become a law.
• These steps are important because they help
  ensure that laws are helpful and beneficial to
  the American people.

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Check this out

• Schoolhouse Rock Video

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• The End