Come along for a mini explanation of how SC bills become law. Chances are, it looks very different from this neat little version located on SCstatehouse.gov.
Generate the buzz around a noble cause tied to a problem that emotionally triggers the public. Get people to care about it. Announce a bill with an evocative title that claims to fix the problem. Get people to support the bill and demand its passage.
Then come the bill architects. These are the people who stand to gain from the language of the bill. Think industry lobbyists, law firms, industry associations, advocacy groups or state agencies.
Bill architects develop the proposed language. They meet with legislators to present their solution, conveniently wrapped in the noble cause narrative. Legislators leave those meetings feeling informed and convinced.
Gotcha!
The legislature now begins to sell the bill to the people. People support it because, after all, so-and-so legislator is amazing, and how can we not fix it? Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. What does that even mean? Who throws a baby out?
Anyway.
The sponsoring legislator is now feeling like a superstar, and here he or she comes to save the day by filing the bill. Cue the social media post announcement.
If the bill has real money behind it, it begins to move. Then come the committee hearings. Legislators participate in committee hearings and have meaningful discussions with experts while claiming they have heard the voice of the people and are working hard to “tighten” the bill.
Then come the amendments.
Whatever language is needed to ensure their interests are preserved, the bill architects provide through proposed amendments. Legislators then push those amendments.
Don’t assume the legislators read the bill or the amendments in their entirety.
The people aren’t paying attention to the language changes in the bill. They aren’t aware that the original bill intent has most likely evaporated.
But the noble title still remains!
This keeps people focused on the emotional title and away from the bill language.
The bill goes to the floor, and the show begins.
The bill architects stay involved, making sure the language they want remains in the bill. During the floor show, these people feed legislators information that ensures the senator or House rep sticks to the script.
If the bill is controversial, legislators make grand speeches and ask thought-provoking questions: “Did you know?” If it’s not controversial, then the bill passes without a wink.
In between announcements of the doctor of the day, an industry association visiting the State House, and running back and forth from the cookie room, legislators vote yes.
The bill passes and becomes law.
Soon, the legislature has to fix the problem that law created.
And the cycle continues.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not constitute legal or professional advice. ConservaTruth assumes no liability for any actions taken based on this content. Read more.
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