b'The idea of working through a Committee truly isAs a practical matter, a witness should prepare an an American invention. Prior to Americanoutline on letterhead of talking points, only. Since independence, an advocate for legal change wouldthe Committee members can read the bill, and can go to ?court?, visiting the king?s castle court yard,read the testimony, a witness? verbal comments where the king and his ministers discussed policy.should be short, not duplicate but highlight the If the king rejected the idea, one could ask themain positions. Nor should interested parties bring church, which rendered decisions on canonical lawtoo many witnesses who only repeat the same based on equitable considerations notwithstandingpoint.The Committee will accept written testimony the king?s law. Old coins of Europe reflect thiswithout a verbal presentation.duality with the king?s likeness on the obverse, and a Christian cross on the reverse. Obviously, theCommittee members then ask questions. A decisionmakers were limited to society?switness who reads or talks too long may not elite.Today, every court in the United Statesreceive questions because there are other applies both statutory law (the king?s law) andwitnesses and bills to be heard, and Committee canonical equity (the church law.) members do not want to prolong their own attendance at each meeting.With American independence, no elites existed. So, local American leaders came together as equals ?inConstant follow-up to Committee members is congress? to resolve policy issues.To ?congress? ishelpful, particularly by local constituents in favor of to come together for action.This manner ofthe new legislation.This can be through decisional government is unique to our nation?scorrespondence or personal contact. Repeated founding.Committee processes intentionally areinvolvement with local representatives builds a slow and deliberate, based on our historicnetwork of resources, which can pay off in many opposition to dictatorial mandates. other ways for other ideas and projects.In 1775, our new country referred to themselves asBill Amendment s. To achieve consensus, the the ?United States of North America?.[vi]QuebecCommittee will consider amendments to the bill as was part of North America, so its citizens calledoriginally introduced. Legislators run for election to themselves ?Americans? too. In 1775, Benedictthe legislature because they want to be of service Arnold led an unsuccessful attack on the City ofto the community.They hope to pass legislation as Quebec.The plaque on the site of the battlea productive result. When opposition to a bill downtown refers to the attack of theappears, it is natural for policymakers to work ?Congressionalists? against the victoriousissues out.Quebecois ?Americans?. With the immense volume of work, proponents of new legislation should meet separately with " T her e ar e no r ules ofopponents, and work out a solution.The sponsoring legislator must approve any amendment, and so pr ocedur e lim iting howoneare appreciative when the parties resolve their w or k s w ith the Com m itteedifferences.The Committee Chair decides whether to hold another hearing, and typically will await m em ber s to advocate the ideaword from the sponsor that all differences are of a newlaw ." gone. A Committee Chair typically does not call for a vote of a bill only to vote it down.The Chair schedules a final hearing, the Committee considers There are no rules of procedure limiting how oneand passes amendments, and the Committee works with the Committee members to advocatevotes the bill out of Committee for floor the idea of a new law. Advocacy tools typicallyconsideration.include letter-writing, personal contact, and formal testimony. Never overlook those CommitteeEven without resolution, of opposition issues, the members of the non-majority political party or whooriginating Committee and chamber may pass the lack seniority. Regardless of background, eachbill out with a simple majority, and send it to the legislator has equal rights to question, comment,other chamber for three more Committee and vote. hearings. Here exposes a tactical flaw: the sponsor is not a member of the second chamber.Therefore, The Senate and House write procedural rules eachopponents enjoy an easier time of opposing session, creating Standing Committees bycontroversial legislation in the second chamber, subject-matter, and requiring that a new bill beand routinely are working that second step long considered at least three times before vote:before the bill shows up.The proponents find Sponsor Testimony, Proponent Testimony, andthemselves at an immediate disadvantage in the Opponent Testimony.There is no limit on thesecond phase, having failed to resolve the number of additional hearings, on the number ofdifferences early.witnesses, or on the duration of testimony by any witness. Passage. Once a bill is favorably reported out of a Continued on Page 10www.ohioroofing.com 9'