Kansas Youth and Government

2014

Agenda

• Welcome and Introductions• Overview• Committee Work• Leadership• Elections of officers• Media section of YIG• Wrap up and Announcements

2014 YIG OfficersGovernor

Doug DeBose– SM Northwest

Lt. GovernorConnick Roe– Kingman High

Speaker of the House Samantha Rohlman– SM South

President of the Senate Matt Connell– SM West

YMCA Youth and Government Coordinator and SMSD Sponsors

• Nick Fleeman

• Christin Lamourie• Sheryl Maguire• Steve Laird• Tony Budetti

• Deb Brown, District advisor

Kansas LegislatureHouse committees

Senate committees

Bill Rule #1

• Make sure your bill topic is attempting to create, modify or delete a Kansas State law. If your bill idea deals with an issue in which the Federal government has jurisdiction or is a state resolution (example: changing the state bird, creating a state card game, etc), you should find a different topic. Your sponsors can explain a bit more about jurisdiction.

Bill Rule #2

• You may not submit a bill that is substantially similar to a bill that was passed in the previous program year. If you submit a resolution, a bill for a Federal law or one that is too similar to a passed bill from the previous year, you will be asked to start over.

Your bill will be placed in one of the YAG committees

EducationChildren, Family, Aging and Animal

WelfareHealth, Safety and Social WelfareTransportation and CommerceEnvironment, Energy, Natural Resources

and AgricultureMiscellaneous

Education

• This is pretty obvious committee. If it happens in education, in a school, is an education program it typically lands here.

• Can be a bit ambiguous• Think well-being of children, the elderly

and animals• Marriage laws or amendments would

fall here

Children, family, aging and animal welfare

Health, Safety and Social Welfare

Examples:• Health care• Safety issues (non transportation)• Community care• Parks• Housing for low income• State assistance • Employment• Pensions for state employees

Transportation and Commerce

• Highways and Roads• Laws (i.e. speed limits)• Trade• Transportation safety

Environment, Energy and Natural Resources

• Can also include agriculture

Miscellaneous

• Things that do not fit into any of the previous categories.

• Some bills could easily be placed in more than one of the committees.

• Take a minute and self determine where you think your bill might best be represented and “make it out of committee.”

Committee Assignments

Are based on what your bill is about.

Take into account• Balance of committee membership• Leadership chosen for committee• Strength of your bill

The Committee

• This is where most of the work of law making takes place.

What happens in committee ?

• You have the opportunity to present your bill for committee consideration

• Discuss the pros and cons of key issues

• Amend and draft a bill on each issues as a group through debate and make each piece of proposed legislation ready for presentation in the Legislative session.

Be prepared

• Have evidence to support your bill…• Use argumentation over persuasion

• Argumentation based on fact with evidence to support it.

• Persuasion has emotional appeal

Think like your opponent

• What defense will you have?• Be prepared with answers to potential

questions. • Anticipate what others might refute

• Most bills die in committee• Those that pass will then be prioritized and go

to the calendar committee.

Make alliances

• Who on your committee and contingency can speak in favor of your bill?

• Find supporters in other contingencies

Basic breakdown of Committee work in Topeka

Rules of Debate for a Bill

1. Reading of the bill

2. Authorship speech (2 minutes). This is

where you convince your committee

of the importance of your bill.

Do your research!

3. Questions of the author (90 seconds - - read the bills before committee)

4. Negative Speech (1 minute max)

5. Affirmative Speech (1 minute max)

6. Final Author summary

7. Vote (called for by the committee chair) Yeas v. Nays

Bills to the House or the Senate

• Most bills will die in committee• Some will be amended

• Bills will be prioritized and then sent to the calendar committee for presentation to the Committee of the Whole

Committee Leadership

• Chairman – Should have prior YIG experience. Interest and recommendation of sponsors.

• Vice Chairman – Should be a Jr. Interest and recommendation of sponsors.

• Clerk• Sgt. Of Arms

Committees

Committee Chairman

There will be a committee chairman and a co-chairman.

Both need to be familiar with the committee process. Oversee all committee hearing activity

Serve on calendar committee

Committee Clerk

Assist with the reading of bills, filling in appropriate forms

Assists chairman with procedure

Is selected in Topeka by the committee members

Sgt. At Arms

Assist Chairman in maintaining order and decorum

Keep time

Remove any member of the committee as sanctioned by the Chairman

Is selected in Topeka by the Committee

Type into the template and SAVE

• Type into each section and then hit return. Be sure you number each section:Section I, Section II, Section III, etc.

• The last section should be WHEN the bill should go into effect.

Youth in Government Bills• Your bill must be submitted

electronically in final form prior to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 7th No exceptions.

• You will receive a confirmation that your bill has been received.

• You can send your bill in sooner.• Bill template can be obtained at http://www4.smsd.org/deborahbrown/

Youth in Government Bills

• Bill template can be obtained at http://www4.smsd.org/deborahbrown/

Check over your work and ask for feedback.• You will have an additional opportunity

to make adjustments to your bill before the bill due date.

• Other participants will provide you with feedback during tonight’s pre-legislative meetings.

Committee work tonight

• Small groups• Read through bill explain briefly. Entertain

questions that will help you refine your bill. • Listeners – provide good feedback to help

make the bill better. This is NOT the time to tear the bill down…. Build it up.

• Depending on the number in your group

• Split into groups of 3 or 4 for the reading, explanation and feedback period.

Review the committee procedures

• Packets

• Veteran YIG will lead the mock committee

Mock Committee exercise

• Use the Committee guidelines to “walk through” a bill from

1. Reading 2. Procedures3. Voting

Procedure in committee1. Reading of Bill

2. Authorship Speech (2 minutes)

3. Questions of Author (2 minutes)

4. Committee Chair calls for any written amendments Amendment procedure (if any)

Vote on amendment before proceeding

5. Debate on Bill (as written or as amended depending on #4.)

6. Opponent/Negative Speech ( 1 minutes max)

Questions of speaker ( 1 minute max)

7. Proponent/Affirmative Speech ( 1 minute max)

Question of speaker ( I minute max)

8. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 ONE more time. (cannot be the same speakers)

9. Final Author Summary

One (1) minute max

No questions

10. Vote

Called for by the committee Chair Yeas v. Nays (stand so clerk can count)

10. Clerk of the Committee records action on the Bill Jacket.

Amending in CommitteeOnly one written amendment will be considered. Chair selects if there is more than one.

1. Proposal of Amendment

In writing

Receives immediate consideration

Chairman asks Bill Author if the amendment is friendly or unfriendly. If friendly the

committee votes. If unfriendly the committee considers questions.

2. Questions of the Amendment Author

One (1) minute max

3. Original bill author may speak to the proposed amendment

One (1) minute max

4. Vote on the amendment called for by the committee chair

As written

As amended

Simulated Committee meeting

• Transportation and Commerce (251)• Education (111)• Public Health and Social Welfare (A)• Natural Resources, Environment, Energy and

Agriculture (106)• Children, Families and Aging (108)• Miscellaneous (114)

SampleCommittee Report

• Madam or Mister– Mister Speaker– Madam President

“My worthy fellow Senator” “My esteemed House colleague” “I yield my remaining time to Representative…” “I move that we……adjourn for lunch” “Call for the Question” “the Question has been

called”

Yea or Nay

YAG Leadership

• Committee Chairs• Elected officials – Schools elect a nominee from

each of their buildings• Appointed positions (made by YAG Director and

by Governor, Lt. Governor, Speaker and President for 2014).

Leadership packet and applicationApplication due to YMCA by November 7th

Primary Election done in buildings

• Governor (must be a SR. next year)• Lt. Governor • Speaker of the House• President of the Senate

• Must be serious candidates! Juniors this year.

• Short speeches at the next meeting. One from each school. Speeches one minute.

YAG media section

Youth and Government Bills• Your bill must be submitted to the

YMCA electronically in final form prior to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 7th No exceptions.

• You will receive a confirmation that your bill has been received.

• You can send your bill in sooner.• Bill template can be obtained at http://www4.smsd.org/deborahbrown/