Revision history for VoteDescription
Additions:
When presenting the list of potential selections, you should be prepared to provide a complete profile of the vote and legislation. This includes a description of the following:
Deletions:
Additions:
When presenting your list of potential selections, you should be prepared to provide a complete profile of the vote and legislation. This includes a description of the following:
- Purpose of the legislation
- Support and opposition to the legislation
- Vote breakdown and stage
- Applicability of the selection criteria
The extent of a vote description provided at a selection meeting will vary greatly. Some legislation requires a more detailed description to be considered for selection, whereas some will be a very obvious choice with little discussion needed. You should be prepared to discuss the following topics.
__Purpose of the Legislation__
Based on your reading of the articles in the press file you should be able to present a brief description of the purpose of the legislation. Generally, you won't have to speak about any specific provisions of the legislation, although there could a specific provision of the legislation that is contentious and merits a mention. Being specific may also help other staff members understand the legislation. Keep in mind that context is often very important to legislation.
You ought to be able to provide a short explanation of the arguments for and against the legislation, but often this won't be required. This will show that the vote meets the first selection criteria (the vote should be helpful in portraying how a member of the legislature stands on a particular issue).
Selection criteria are important to keep in mind. Not every vote will meet every criterion, but all votes should meet at least a few. The criteria are particularly useful when everyone is unsure or apathetic or when a vote becomes contentious within the meeting.
When addressing the first selection criterion (the vote should be helpful in portraying how a member of the legislature stands on a particular issue), it helps to pinpoint the specific issue that the legislation is addressing. The issue could be a relatively conspicuous one (e.g.: abortion, income taxes, etc.), a less frequent issue that transcends state borders (e.g.: sales tax, right-to-work, etc.), or one that is limited almost exclusively to one state (e.g.: wolf population management, coal companies, drought management, etc.).
The second selection criterion (the vote should be clear for any individual to understand, meaning the intention of the "yea" or "nay" vote is understandable) should only be addressed if there is any uncertainty whether a voter will understand the intention of the vote. This can come up with omnibus or heavily amended bills.
The third selection criterion (the vote has received media attention) should always be addressed. In doing so, you should discuss how much press attention the vote or legislation received. This can be done generally (e.g.: great press, a lot of press, little press, etc.) or specifically (e.g.: three articles, national press, etc.).
The fourth selection criterion (the vote was passed or defeated by a relatively close margin, meaning there should be a sizable number of "Yea" or "Nay" votes) is more flexible. If a state's legislature is lopsided, the issue is very important, or an adviser recommends the bill, a lopsided vote can be taken.
The fifth and sixth selection criteria (if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the PVS Hotline or recommended by a Key Votes advisor) should always be mentioned, if applicable.
- Purpose of the legislation
- Support and opposition to the legislation
- Vote breakdown and stage
- Applicability of the selection criteria
The extent of a vote description provided at a selection meeting will vary greatly. Some legislation requires a more detailed description to be considered for selection, whereas some will be a very obvious choice with little discussion needed. You should be prepared to discuss the following topics.
__Purpose of the Legislation__
Based on your reading of the articles in the press file you should be able to present a brief description of the purpose of the legislation. Generally, you won't have to speak about any specific provisions of the legislation, although there could a specific provision of the legislation that is contentious and merits a mention. Being specific may also help other staff members understand the legislation. Keep in mind that context is often very important to legislation.
You ought to be able to provide a short explanation of the arguments for and against the legislation, but often this won't be required. This will show that the vote meets the first selection criteria (the vote should be helpful in portraying how a member of the legislature stands on a particular issue).
Selection criteria are important to keep in mind. Not every vote will meet every criterion, but all votes should meet at least a few. The criteria are particularly useful when everyone is unsure or apathetic or when a vote becomes contentious within the meeting.
When addressing the first selection criterion (the vote should be helpful in portraying how a member of the legislature stands on a particular issue), it helps to pinpoint the specific issue that the legislation is addressing. The issue could be a relatively conspicuous one (e.g.: abortion, income taxes, etc.), a less frequent issue that transcends state borders (e.g.: sales tax, right-to-work, etc.), or one that is limited almost exclusively to one state (e.g.: wolf population management, coal companies, drought management, etc.).
The second selection criterion (the vote should be clear for any individual to understand, meaning the intention of the "yea" or "nay" vote is understandable) should only be addressed if there is any uncertainty whether a voter will understand the intention of the vote. This can come up with omnibus or heavily amended bills.
The third selection criterion (the vote has received media attention) should always be addressed. In doing so, you should discuss how much press attention the vote or legislation received. This can be done generally (e.g.: great press, a lot of press, little press, etc.) or specifically (e.g.: three articles, national press, etc.).
The fourth selection criterion (the vote was passed or defeated by a relatively close margin, meaning there should be a sizable number of "Yea" or "Nay" votes) is more flexible. If a state's legislature is lopsided, the issue is very important, or an adviser recommends the bill, a lopsided vote can be taken.
The fifth and sixth selection criteria (if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the PVS Hotline or recommended by a Key Votes advisor) should always be mentioned, if applicable.
Deletions:
- Underlying purpose of the legislation.
- Support and opposition to the legislation.
- Bill history to date.
- Applicability of the selection criteria.
The extent of a vote description provided at a selection meeting will vary greatly. Some legislation requires a more detailed description to be considered for selection, whereas some will be a very obvious choice with little discussion needed. In fact, some will require a very succinct description without noting the arguments for and against the legislation. However, you should be prepared to discuss all of the following.
__Underlying Purpose of the Legislation__
Based on your reading of the articles in your press file, you should be able to present a brief description of the underlying purpose of the legislation. Generally, you won't have to speak about any specific provisions of the legislation. Although, there could a specific provision of the legislation that represents the point of contention, and a mention of that would be necessary. Furthermore, adding specifics may help other staff members to better understand the legislation. Here is an example of a description that was presented at a selection meeting:
//H 485 (Vermont): Amends the state's current use tax program - a land conservation program where landowners agree not to develop on their land beyond its current use in return for property tax breaks. Included in the changes is a one year moratorium on new enrollees, the penalty for removing land from the program will now be at fair market value, and increases the property transfer tax administered when the land in the program is sold.//
Notice that the underlying purpose of the legislation has been stated ("amends the state's current use tax program"). However, most people wouldn't know what that means. Therefore, a brief description of the program was included, followed by specific descriptions of the changes being made.
You ought to be able to provide a short explanation of the arguments for and against the legislation, but often this won't be required. This is helpful in establishing that the vote meets the first selection criteria (the vote should be helpful in portraying how a member of the legislature stands on a particular issue). Here is an example of when opposing arguments are presented:
//HB 2583 (Hawaii): Increases penalties for shark feeding, primarily targeting a few "shark tour companies" who are accused of taking advantage of a loophole in the ban on feeding sharks normally reserved for research purposes or religious/cultural practices. Supporters also fear that continued shark baiting could put surfers and swimmers at risk. Opponents defend "shark tours" as a boost for the tourism industry. Some opponents, including the Governor who vetoed the bill, allege that it is unconstitutional because it authorizes the seizure of vessels for violations of the law.//
The underlying purpose of the legislation is fairly simple and can be summed up in a few words ("increasing penalties for shark feeding"), but the point of contention remains unclear. Therefore, supporters and opponents of the legislation are represented in the description to better explain how the first selection criteria is being met.
__Bill History to Date__
Although you may be targeting one or two votes, it's best to provide the full bill history. That way, vote selections can be expanded to include earlier or later versions of the bill, particularly if the press noted that one version was more controversial than another. However, preference is generally given to the votes that the tracker had in mind, as well as the votes on the version of the bill that was enacted into law, if applicable. When describing the bill history, simply note the date of vote, chamber, stage, and vote count. Here is an example of a bill history that was provided during a selection meeting:
//-01/27/2010: House Passage, Passed 104-34
-05/03/2010: Senate Passage with Amendment, Passed Voice Vote
-05/12/2010: House Concurrence Vote with Amendment, Passed Voice Vote
-05/12/2010: Senate Concurrence Vote, Passed 20-9//
It could be that the tracker was following press on the most recent vote (Senate Concurrence Vote), but if the House Passage vote is brought up during the selection meeting, a case could be made for the selection of that vote as well.
You should attempt to gauge how much the potential selection(s) meets the selection criteria. This is partially done when describing the underlying purpose of the legislation, arguments for and against the legislation, and bill history. However, it doesn't hurt to expand upon that that and specify the degree to which it meets each criteria.
When addressing the first selection criterion (the vote should be helpful in portraying how a member of the legislature stands on a particular issue), it helps to pinpoint the specific issue that the legislation is addressing. The issue could be a relatively conspicuous one (ex: abortion, same sex marriage, income taxes, etc.), a less frequent issue that still transcends state borders (ex: sales tax, easing unionization requirements, etc.), or one that is limited almost exclusively to one state (ex: wolf population management, shark feeding, non-partisan blanket primaries, etc.).
The second selection criterion (the vote should be clear for any individual to understand, meaning the intention of the "yea" or "nay" vote is understandable) should only be addressed if there is any uncertainty whether a voter will understand the intention of the vote. Generally this is reserved for Motion Votes.
The third selection criterion (the vote has received media attention) should always be addressed. In doing so, you should delineate how much press attention the vote or legislation received. This can be done using vague terminology (ex: great press, a lot of press, modest press, little press, etc.) or something more specific (ex: three articles, national press, etc.).
The fourth selection criterion (the vote was passed or defeated by a relatively close margin, meaning there should be a sizable number of "Yea" and "Nay" votes) should already be addressed when describing the bill history.
The fifth and sixth selection criteria (if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the PVS Hotline or recommended by a Key Votes advisor) should always be stated, if applicable.
__[[Categories1 Categories]]__
Finally, be prepared to recommend [[Categories1 categories]] to be assigned to the vote. You don't need to provide this when presenting the vote. Rather, this will be done if the vote is selected.
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__[[Categories1 Categories]]__
Deletions:
Additions:
Finally, be prepared to recommend [[Categories1 categories]] to be assigned to the vote. You don't need to provide this when presenting the vote. Rather, this will be done if the vote is selected.
Deletions:
Additions:
The underlying purpose of the legislation is fairly simple and can be summed up in a few words ("increasing penalties for shark feeding"), but the point of contention remains unclear. Therefore, supporters and opponents of the legislation are represented in the description to better explain how the first selection criteria is being met.
Deletions:
Additions:
//HB 2583 (Hawaii): Increases penalties for shark feeding, primarily targeting a few "shark tour companies" who are accused of taking advantage of a loophole in the ban on feeding sharks normally reserved for research purposes or religious/cultural practices. Supporters also fear that continued shark baiting could put surfers and swimmers at risk. Opponents defend "shark tours" as a boost for the tourism industry. Some opponents, including the Governor who vetoed the bill, allege that it is unconstitutional because it authorizes the seizure of vessels for violations of the law.//
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Additions:
==Descriptions of the Votes==
When presenting your list of potential selections, you should be prepared to provide a complete profile of the vote and legislation. This includes a description of the following:
Based on your reading of the articles in your press file, you should be able to present a brief description of the underlying purpose of the legislation. Generally, you won't have to speak about any specific provisions of the legislation. Although, there could a specific provision of the legislation that represents the point of contention, and a mention of that would be necessary. Furthermore, adding specifics may help other staff members to better understand the legislation. Here is an example of a description that was presented at a selection meeting:
//H 485 (Vermont): Amends the state's current use tax program - a land conservation program where landowners agree not to develop on their land beyond its current use in return for property tax breaks. Included in the changes is a one year moratorium on new enrollees, the penalty for removing land from the program will now be at fair market value, and increases the property transfer tax administered when the land in the program is sold.//
Although you may be targeting one or two votes, it's best to provide the full bill history. That way, vote selections can be expanded to include earlier or later versions of the bill, particularly if the press noted that one version was more controversial than another. However, preference is generally given to the votes that the tracker had in mind, as well as the votes on the version of the bill that was enacted into law, if applicable. When describing the bill history, simply note the date of vote, chamber, stage, and vote count. Here is an example of a bill history that was provided during a selection meeting:
You should attempt to gauge how much the potential selection(s) meets the selection criteria. This is partially done when describing the underlying purpose of the legislation, arguments for and against the legislation, and bill history. However, it doesn't hurt to expand upon that that and specify the degree to which it meets each criteria.
When addressing the first selection criterion (the vote should be helpful in portraying how a member of the legislature stands on a particular issue), it helps to pinpoint the specific issue that the legislation is addressing. The issue could be a relatively conspicuous one (ex: abortion, same sex marriage, income taxes, etc.), a less frequent issue that still transcends state borders (ex: sales tax, easing unionization requirements, etc.), or one that is limited almost exclusively to one state (ex: wolf population management, shark feeding, non-partisan blanket primaries, etc.).
The second selection criterion (the vote should be clear for any individual to understand, meaning the intention of the "yea" or "nay" vote is understandable) should only be addressed if there is any uncertainty whether a voter will understand the intention of the vote. Generally this is reserved for Motion Votes.
The third selection criterion (the vote has received media attention) should always be addressed. In doing so, you should delineate how much press attention the vote or legislation received. This can be done using vague terminology (ex: great press, a lot of press, modest press, little press, etc.) or something more specific (ex: three articles, national press, etc.).
The fourth selection criterion (the vote was passed or defeated by a relatively close margin, meaning there should be a sizable number of "Yea" and "Nay" votes) should already be addressed when describing the bill history.
When presenting your list of potential selections, you should be prepared to provide a complete profile of the vote and legislation. This includes a description of the following:
Based on your reading of the articles in your press file, you should be able to present a brief description of the underlying purpose of the legislation. Generally, you won't have to speak about any specific provisions of the legislation. Although, there could a specific provision of the legislation that represents the point of contention, and a mention of that would be necessary. Furthermore, adding specifics may help other staff members to better understand the legislation. Here is an example of a description that was presented at a selection meeting:
//H 485 (Vermont): Amends the state's current use tax program - a land conservation program where landowners agree not to develop on their land beyond its current use in return for property tax breaks. Included in the changes is a one year moratorium on new enrollees, the penalty for removing land from the program will now be at fair market value, and increases the property transfer tax administered when the land in the program is sold.//
Although you may be targeting one or two votes, it's best to provide the full bill history. That way, vote selections can be expanded to include earlier or later versions of the bill, particularly if the press noted that one version was more controversial than another. However, preference is generally given to the votes that the tracker had in mind, as well as the votes on the version of the bill that was enacted into law, if applicable. When describing the bill history, simply note the date of vote, chamber, stage, and vote count. Here is an example of a bill history that was provided during a selection meeting:
You should attempt to gauge how much the potential selection(s) meets the selection criteria. This is partially done when describing the underlying purpose of the legislation, arguments for and against the legislation, and bill history. However, it doesn't hurt to expand upon that that and specify the degree to which it meets each criteria.
When addressing the first selection criterion (the vote should be helpful in portraying how a member of the legislature stands on a particular issue), it helps to pinpoint the specific issue that the legislation is addressing. The issue could be a relatively conspicuous one (ex: abortion, same sex marriage, income taxes, etc.), a less frequent issue that still transcends state borders (ex: sales tax, easing unionization requirements, etc.), or one that is limited almost exclusively to one state (ex: wolf population management, shark feeding, non-partisan blanket primaries, etc.).
The second selection criterion (the vote should be clear for any individual to understand, meaning the intention of the "yea" or "nay" vote is understandable) should only be addressed if there is any uncertainty whether a voter will understand the intention of the vote. Generally this is reserved for Motion Votes.
The third selection criterion (the vote has received media attention) should always be addressed. In doing so, you should delineate how much press attention the vote or legislation received. This can be done using vague terminology (ex: great press, a lot of press, modest press, little press, etc.) or something more specific (ex: three articles, national press, etc.).
The fourth selection criterion (the vote was passed or defeated by a relatively close margin, meaning there should be a sizable number of "Yea" and "Nay" votes) should already be addressed when describing the bill history.
Deletions:
When presenting your list of potential selections, you should be prepared to provide a complete profile of the vote(s) and the legislation. This includes a description of the following:
Based on your reading of the press file, or the articles that will be in your press file, you should be able to present a brief description of the underlying purpose of the legislation. Generally, you won't have to speak about any specific provisions of the legislation. Although, there could a specific provision of the legislation that represents the point of contention, and a mention of that would be necessary. Furthermore, adding specifics may help other staff members to better understand the legislation. Here is an example of a description of legislation that was presented at a selection meeting:
//H 485 (Vermont): Amends the state's current use tax program - a land conservation program where landowners agree not to develop on their land beyond its current use in return for property tax brakes. Included in the changes is a one year moratorium on new enrollees, the penalty for removing land from the program will now be at fair market value, and increases the property transfer tax administered when the land in the program is sold.//
Although you may be targeting one or two votes, it's best to provide a full description of the bill history. That way, vote selections can be expanded to include earlier or later versions of the bill, particularly if the press noted that one version was more controversial than another. However, preference is generally given to the votes that the tracker had in mind, as well as the votes on the version of the bill that was enacted, if applicable. When describing the bill history, simply note the date of vote, chamber, stage, and vote count. Here is an example of a bill history that was provided during a selection meeting:
You should attempt to gauge how much the potential selection(s) meets the selection criteria. This is partially done when describing the underlying purpose of the legislation, arguments for and against the legislation, and bill history. However, it doesn't hurt to not the degree to which it meets this set of criteria.
When addressing the first selection criteria (the vote should be helpful in portraying how a member of the legislature stands on a particular issue), it helps to pinpoint the specific issue that the legislation is addressing. The issue could be a relatively conspicuous one (ex: abortion, same sex marriage, income taxes etc.), a less frequent issue that still transcends state borders (ex: sales tax, easing unionization requirements, etc.), or one that is limited almost exclusively to one state (ex: wolf population management, shark feeding, etc.).
The second selection criteria (the vote should be clear for any individual to understand, meaning the intention of the "yea" or "nay" vote is understandable) should only be addressed if there is any uncertainty that a voter will understand the function of the vote. Generally this is reserved for Motion Votes.
The third selection criteria (the vote has received media attention) should always be addressed. In doing so, you should delineate how much press attention the vote or legislation received. This can be done using vague terminology (ex: great press, a lot of press, modest press, little press, etc.) or something more specific (ex: three articles, national press, etc.).
The fourth selection criteria (the vote was passed or defeated by a relatively close margine, meaning there should be a sizable number of "Yea" and "Nay" votes) should already be addressed when describing the bill history.
