Things are a bit more complicated/questionable in the legislature than Schoolhouse Rock teaches us. That poor little bill is really going to be upset about what is happening in NC.
I’d like to give just one example of how a bill becomes law in NC. It demonstrates a lack of openness in government and backroom dealmaking that is become commonplace at the legislature.
Two different versions of this bill passed both the House and Senate. The House passed a bill that dealt with educating students about voting and related matters. The Senate gutted that and changed the bill to cover a completely different topic: it became a very short bill on whether certain white collar criminals could posses firearms. When the House couldn’t agree on this new Senate bill, a conference committee was formed.
Behind the scenes in the conference committee, the bill became a detailed way (as Sara discussed) to address whether nonviolent felons could possess firearms (see my report here). An issue of this magnitude was not discussed in public and there will be little to any chance for anyone (on either side of the issue) to have their voices heard. The exception of course are the lobbyists who have inside connections and were part of the behind-the-scenes process.
This isn’t an example of evil lobbyists–it is an example of the legislature setting up a system where to be involved in the democratic process you must be an insider–this isn’t a pay to play system. It is a closed system where legislators don’t want to be held accountable. It is a system where openness (i.e. transparency) could have reduced the lobbyists’ influence and better engaged the public.
