Explaining the Legislative Gauntlet

It is the time of year when legislators file their legislation for the next session. Every so often I feel it important to write an article which describes the process by which a bill becomes law.

By rule, representatives are limited to eight legislative initiatives, so we must carefully select the ideas we want to advance.

Only a small percentage of introduced bills are successfully passed into law. Many of those that are approved are requested and guided through the legislative process by either lobbyists or state agency officials. There are not many bills approved that are "grassroots-driven" (requested by constituents).