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Legislative Advocacy: Advocate Resources Upcoming Events
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Because an informed and active citizenry is the lifeblood of a democracy, check here to learn some legislative lingo that you can use when engaging in advocacy activities. Legislative terms are updated weekly. Speaker of the House- Elected by the membership of the House of Representatives to lead that body. Included in this person's responsibilities is spokesperson for the Majority party, the appointment of members to committees as well as numerous administrative responsibilities. In the absence of the Speaker, the Speaker pro tempore or the Associate Speaker pro tempore presides. Previous Terms Ad hoc committee- A committee appointed for a special purpose. An ad hoc committee automatically dissolves upon completion of a specified task or at the end of a biennial session. Amendatory Bill- A bill to amend or repeal existing law. The title of the bill will begin with "a bill to amend" or "a bill to repeal." The title will show the sections being amended or repealed. The bill contains lower and upper case type or stricken material or both. Adoption- Approval or acceptance by a house; applied to amendments, resolutions and joint resolutions. This is in contrast to "pass", which means to enact a bill by the required number of votes. Advice and Consent- A constitutional provision providing confirmation by the Senate of certain appointments made by the governor. Appropriations: The authorization to spend state
and federal funds. Probably the most important function of the
Legislature, appropriating money is carried out by passing bills that authorize
governmental units (department, agencies and institutions) to spend money for
specified purposes. Appropriations Committee-A body of elected members delegated by the House or Senate to consider and make recommendations concerning the authorization to spend state and federal funds. Probably the most important function of the Legislature is to appropriate money that is carried out by passing bills that authorize units (departments, agencies, and institutions) of government to spend money for specified purposes. Committees are appointed by the Speaker of the House or the Senate Majority Leader and are organized according to subject matter.The Senate Higher Education Conference Committee: A committee, consisting of three members from each house, that is appointed to resolve differences in a bill or resolution that has been passed in different versions in each house. Constitutional Amendment- A joint resolution passed by both houses
which affects the State Constitution and which requires approval by voters at
a general election. Executive Budget-Recommended allocation of state moneys presented by the governor for consideration by the legislature. The executive budget is normally submitted in January. Executive Order-An order issued by the governor. It may take
several forms, but the types of executive orders are most often of interest
to the legislature and possibly acted upon by the legislature are those to re-organize
state government pursuant to the governor's constitutional re-organization powers
or to reduce appropriation line items.
Precedent- Interpretation or compilation of rulings by presiding officers on specific procedures or rules that are established by customs and practices. Presiding officer- Person designated to preside at a legislative session. Public Hearing-A public meeting where legislators seek information on an issue or legislation. A public hearing differs from a regular committee meeting in that it is usually held at various locations throughout the state for the purpose of taking testimony and usually no votes are taken. Redistricting or Reapportionment- Districts must be redrawn at least every 10 years to reflect changes in population as reported by the US Census. Regular session- The one-year period during which a Legislature carries on business. The Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1963 requires that each regular session start on the second Wednesday in January at noon. Each regular session shall adjourn without day, on a day determined by concurrent resolution, at noon. Resolution-A document expressing the will of the House or the Senate (or both, in the case of concurrent resolutions). Resolutions are used to urge state agencies or the Congress to take certain actions; to formally approve certain plans of governmental agencies; to conduct certain legislative business; or to establish study committees to examine issues. Some resolutions are also offered by members as an expression of congratulations, commemoration or tribute to an individual or group. Roll Call: Recorded vote on an issue before the body; either by an electronic tabulating machine or by voice vote. Select Committee: Committee appointed to consider and make recommendations for specific proposals. Senate Majority Leader: Elected by the members of the Senate majority party to lead the Senate. Included in this person's responsibilities are acting as spokesperson for the majority party, appointing committee members and performing numerous administrative responsibilities. State of the State Address - Each year, Michigan's governor addresses a joint session of the House and Senate in a speech known as the State of the State. This special message to the Legislature outlines the governor's agenda for the coming year and signals to the members and to the public the governor's top legislative priorities. The speech is traditionally delivered in the House chamber. The 2002 State of the State is scheduled for Jan. 23. Straight Ticket Voting- Ability to vote for all candidates of a single party by selecting a designation at the top of the ballot. The University of Michigan has a strong presence in the Michigan Legislature, with several legislators that attended or graduated from the U-M. There are 23 legislators that attended or graduated from U-M serving in the 92nd Michigan State Legislature. For a list of U-M graduates serving in the Michigan State Legislature, visit http://alumni.umich.edu/ advocacy/insideinfo_alumni.php |
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