Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1949-02-11
THE WEEK
Under Capitol
DONE
BY Clifford Rucker

While bills with which the
readers Of this column are primAr-
ny concerned rest In committees
Of the Senate and House. we shall
discuss the procedure by which Q
bin becomes q law In our state
Legislature
Most important proposed Iegis-
lAtion 10 prepared by request and
direction Of the state administra-
ton. committees Of the iegisia-
ture or by groups interested In
some particular field. Usually
some member Of the Attorney
Generals staff assists In the pre-
paration and drafting OF Q bill 70
assure proper legal form.
Bills may be introduced during
the first sixty legislative days by
regular procedure. After sixty
days and before the last twenty
days by Q two-thirds vote Of the
houses. or AZ committee bills, or
by request Of the governor. During
the last twenty Legislative days
they may be introduced only by
the request Of the governor.
All bills must be introduced by q
member or members Of the Legis-
lature and by attaching their
names 10 q bill members become
its authors" or sponsors. The
Senate limits the number Of auth
ors 10 three; in the House the
number Is unlimited and some
times enough signatures are OBJ
taincd to insure passage OF q bill.
The bill ia then referred to the
Speaker or Lieutenant Governor
In order that they may look II
over beforehand and decide to
which committee IL should be re-
ferrcd. II then gets its first read
ing from the Speakers desk by
number. title. author.
Most bills automatically 20 To
certain committees, a. for example
In the House. q bill TO Great q new
highway would be referred 10 the
COMMITTEES. ON Pubic Highways.
q bill regarding taxes would be
sent to the Committee on Taxes
and Tax Laws. II 10 then consid-
cred by that particular committee
which may recommend that Il
pass. pass a. amended in commit
tee, be indefinitely postponed. re-
turned TO itS author. be passed
out without recommendation or II
may receive no action at all Hear
ingB are sometimes held on bills
thus giving the proponents an OPP
portunity TO appear In behalf or
against q bill
The bin 10 then given its second
reading from the Speakers desk,
u printed and each legislator given
. copy. II an appropriation 10 In
volved. II must be acted upon by
the Appropriations Committee be-
fore given its second reading. II IL
then given q regular place on Cen
eral Orders BY Q two-thirds ap-
prevail Il can be placed on Special
Order for consideration st . speci-
fed time. The bill 10 then con-
sidered by the Committee Of the
Whole House which includes the
entire membership OF the House
and 10 q period for informal dis
cusaion and unlimited debate. II
may recommend that the bin be
advanced 20 the calendar" which
means that further discussion has
been psOtphoned until the next
day. The House then accepts the
report Of the Committee Of the
whole. Local, nOn-contrUversial
and urgent bills may receive con-
Hideration by means OF . unani-
nous vote 10 suspend the rlles
TIE bin 10 now ready for III
third reading and final passage
BY means Of an electrical record
ing system the members vote Aye
or Nay. Balls introduced In ona
branch usually have . eompanion
bin in the other and when one
house has passed the ban u may
then Be substituted for the BAL
pending before that house. II on
house amends . bin which ID
passed BY the other house u ID
sent back 70 the original house "a
concur In Ghs amendment A Con.
ference Committee from each
house then irons out the differ,
encss and II each house accepts u
the bGn 10 thsn engrOased and
ready for the governors signature
Ths Governor may aEn u: rsfeI
u bach % ths house with his %,
JsctionS IN which case . two-
thirds vote Of each house b nee.
easAFy % override the veto. 90 n
~ does not Slgn . ban within thres
days o. fails 10 rRturn % % tn
house whsrs it criCtnntsd, q BE-
comes . Lar. unleas ths Iegtaiaturs
~ sdtOurumenL prV~eass 10 -
turn Thaa last procedure 10 eaIIsd
. -'pockst vSeo-.
Thus the progrsas % . bm n
cur state IsgisaAture. OF TIE sewer.
n Ihoua4nds % bllhs pressntsd
Oaly . relatively fsv survive an1
become iny.