How to Read a Bill

Posted on March 19th, 2009

I often receive emails and calls from constituents concerned, often almost panicked, about the contents of a bill being considered by the Arkansas legislature. As often as not, their concerns are due to a misunderstanding about what the bill, in and of itself, actually does. Usually, the misunderstanding comes from reading what is currently already part of Arkansas law in the text of the bill and interpreting it to mean that is what the bill does.

When a bill is drafted, it pulls the content from the current EXISTING “code” then marks out and/or adds to that code. The term code means the actual written Arkansas law. You can read it here: Arkansas Code Only the Arkansas legislature can “write” or “edit” the Arkansas code.

When you are reading a bill, if the text is not underlined or struck, then the bill is not changing that section of the existing code. If text is underlined, then those words have been added to that particular code section by the bill. If text is struck, then those words are being removed by the bill. Consider the following totally made-up SB666 example:

25   BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
26
27         SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 66-6-666(a)(1), regarding the barbecuing
28   of cur puppies, is amended to read as follows:
29         (a)(1) The Governor shall have power to permit the cafeterias and restaurants
30   of the state for such a period, to such extent, and in such manner as he may
31   deem necessary, to barbeque cur puppies:
32               (A) in In case of invasion, disaster, insurrection, riot,
33   breach of the peace, or imminent danger thereof , ; or
34               (B) to To preserve the public health and security and
35   maintain law and order , ; or
36               (C) For the purpose of working with other state cafeterias
37   in the planning and training for emergencies or disasters and to respond to
38   emergencies or disasters to permit the cafeterias and restaurants
39   of the state for such a period, to such extent, and in such manner as he may
40   deem necessary, to barbeque cur puppies.

Carefully notice that the Governor already had the power to authorize that cur puppies could be barbequed, even if this bill were not passed. At first -when you look at the bill- it seems that lines 29 through 31 grant that permission that did not exist before, but notice that those lines were already in the code in lines 38 through 40. Also, notice that because line 32 was already in existing code it was already permissible for the governor to allow barbequing puppies in the event of insurrection.

The only thing that the bill above does is to allow the Governor to permit the barbequing of cur puppies in the case described on lines 36 and 37.

Now be informed, I personally don’t believe the governor should be allowed to permit the barbequing of cur puppies during an insurrection, but I am fine with it being done in the planning and training for emergencies or disasters and to respond to emergencies or disasters,. It would make a great future bill to stop the Governor from barbequing cur puppies in the case of insurrection, I would in fact support it. But in consideration of this bill, I support barbequing them in the case of emergencies and disasters. Therefore the logical vote for me is “Yes” for SB666.

By the way, I have it on good authority that Senator Mue Sadison intends to file a bill in the next legislative session that prohibits the Governor from barbequing cur puppies in all circumstances. That damn tree hugging liberal ought to go hungry during an emergency or disaster just once, I bet that would change her mind.

Tags: political how-to
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2 Responses to “How to Read a Bill”

1. Arkansas Student Says:
   March 20th, 2009 at 12:06 am

   I may not normally agree with you, but I have to give you credit for this rather creative example/teaching tool to help folks understand how to read a bill. I think is pretty clever!

   And I detect a certain type of humor in it that…. well…. I guess I would call it dry humor, but that’s the kind I like. And I’m sort of a damn tree hugging liberal myself

2. Stuff From Around Arkansas, March 20 | The Arkansas Project Says:
   March 20th, 2009 at 8:17 am

   [...] Dog’s Life: Blogging Rep. Mark Martin goes all Legislating 101 with a look at how to read a bill. I might clip and save this post, just in case I ever decide to do something like that. (Off the [...]