Civics 101 in 120 Seconds (ish) – Rules Committee (3 min)
Civics 101 in 120 Seconds (ish) is your straightforward guide through the often confounding legislative process.
Script:
What is the Rules Committee?
Not a policy committee or a fiscal committee and it doesn’t look at rules. It is a political step between committee action and the Floor, it is the Gatekeeper
Political reasons
Time management Reasons
Average bill in the Senate takes 5 minutes to pass
Not enough time even around the clock
Anything that is stuck in Rules is another way to say it is “dead for the session”.
Legislative leadership rarely serve on committees, they generally stay above that.
But they do serve on the Rules Committee and so do other key members of leadership – Speaker and Majority Leader etc.
Rules is a chance for leadership to decide what they really want to hit the Floor for a vote.
Teach with TVW is a free online resource provided by TVW for Washington state social studies teachers to engage their students in state government and help to inspire active citizens.
Learn more at: https://www.teachwithtvw.org
