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Have you ever wondered where laws come from? Laws come from citizens who have encountered an issue in society and have an idea on how they feel it can be addressed. Of course, not everyone is going to agree about the remedy to the issue. Regardless of the issue, not many laws are introduced without some opposing view.
When a bill is formally introduced, it becomes part of the public record and is assigned to a committee for a public hearing. During this public hearing, committee members and constituents have opportunities to share their views about the proposed legislation. At the end of the hearing, the bill must receive a sufficient number of votes from the committee in order to be released. During the entire process of a bill, citizens have the opportunity to discuss their views with their legislator and other legislators. Citizens may do so by visiting Legislative Hall, placing phone calls and/or sending emails.
Not every bill that is introduced will have enough support to go to the floor for a vote. Of the nearly 500 House bills introduced during the last two years, nearly 40 percent (183) did not come to the floor for a vote. They either failed to secure the votes to get out of committee, weren’t placed on the agenda, or were stricken by the sponsor. A bill sponsor will either strike a bill or will not request that it be placed on the agenda if they do not feel that they have enough votes for a bill to pass.
As a bill goes through this process and a sponsor hears the feedback from constituents and fellow legislators, changes to the bill are often made. Opposition is heard and consensus is reached to keep the bill moving through the legislative process. If citizens only look at one part of the legislative process, like final voting record, they could construe an inaccurate view on how the process works.
As a state representative, I greatly appreciate all the feedback I received from the constituents of the 8th district. Their supporting and opposing views were shared and heard, and each had a direct influence in changing the shape of several pieces of legislation.
A legislator’s job is to be the voice of the people and to vote their district’s will. As a result of their involvement, a number of positive accomplishments occurred during the 145th General Assembly. We passed open government initiatives, obtained much-needed funding for our schools and road construction, passed education reform initiatives and created equal education opportunities for children with disabilities. We fought for funding for our senior centers and our volunteer fire companies and we also passed economic development legislation that will help bring new jobs to the area.
While we may all not agree on every issue, it is clear that working together produces positive results.
Quinn Johnson is a Democrat representing the 8th district, which encompasses parts of Middletown, Townsend, Clayton and Smyrna. He can be reached at 302-744-4124 or 378-2681, or by email at mailto:quinton.johnson@state.de.us.
Have you ever wondered where laws come from? Laws come from citizens who have encountered an issue in society and have an idea on how they feel it can be addressed. Of course, not everyone is going to agree about the remedy to the issue. Regardless of the issue, not many laws are introduced without some opposing view.
When a bill is formally introduced, it becomes part of the public record and is assigned to a committee for a public hearing. During this public hearing, committee members and constituents have opportunities to share their views about the proposed legislation. At the end of the hearing, the bill must receive a sufficient number of votes from the committee in order to be released. During the entire process of a bill, citizens have the opportunity to discuss their views with their legislator and other legislators. Citizens may do so by visiting Legislative Hall, placing phone calls and/or sending emails.
Not every bill that is introduced will have enough support to go to the floor for a vote. Of the nearly 500 House bills introduced during the last two years, nearly 40 percent (183) did not come to the floor for a vote. They either failed to secure the votes to get out of committee, weren’t placed on the agenda, or were stricken by the sponsor. A bill sponsor will either strike a bill or will not request that it be placed on the agenda if they do not feel that they have enough votes for a bill to pass.
As a bill goes through this process and a sponsor hears the feedback from constituents and fellow legislators, changes to the bill are often made. Opposition is heard and consensus is reached to keep the bill moving through the legislative process. If citizens only look at one part of the legislative process, like final voting record, they could construe an inaccurate view on how the process works.
As a state representative, I greatly appreciate all the feedback I received from the constituents of the 8th district. Their supporting and opposing views were shared and heard, and each had a direct influence in changing the shape of several pieces of legislation.
A legislator’s job is to be the voice of the people and to vote their district’s will. As a result of their involvement, a number of positive accomplishments occurred during the 145th General Assembly. We passed open government initiatives, obtained much-needed funding for our schools and road construction, passed education reform initiatives and created equal education opportunities for children with disabilities. We fought for funding for our senior centers and our volunteer fire companies and we also passed economic development legislation that will help bring new jobs to the area.
While we may all not agree on every issue, it is clear that working together produces positive results.
Quinn Johnson is a Democrat representing the 8th district, which encompasses parts of Middletown, Townsend, Clayton and Smyrna. He can be reached at 302-744-4124 or 378-2681, or by email at mailto:quinton.johnson@state.de.us.
