Creative bills to write for a legislative simulation?

[bulloughclan]

Dear gentlemen,

I am a fifteen-year-old who will be attending a legislative simulation this June; in this simulation each person is assigned the role of a senator or congressmen, I was assigned the role of Rob Bishop. And I am in need of some ideas and examples of bills to write, and bills to repeal.

 

[Tsu]

Well, that sounds very fun and interesting! Tell us more about it while we think of something. Where will this be held? Who is sponsoring it? How many people are involved?

More questions:
Do you think the US Government has any bad laws that might need fixing?
Do you think there are any environmental issues that need to be addressed?
What are you passionate about? Something that you might be able to write a bill to assist in the advancement of that passion? (science? literature? sports?)

...just some thoughts off the top of my furry little head.

 

[motai]

Dear gentlemen,

I am a fifteen-year-old who will be attending a legislative simulation this June; in this simulation each person is assigned the role of a senator or congressmen, I was assigned the role of Rob Bishop. And I am in need of some ideas and examples of bills to write, and bills to repeal.

American Legion's Boys State? Sounds an awful lot like it. Ill be in the Florida chapter and we'll have to go through a similar process to pass a legislative bill. If the bill succeeds in the mock legislature then it will proceed to the real Florida legislature for review (how's that for progress, student-run too!)

What's interesting is that many useful bills have been passed. The white lines on both sides of most U.S. roads? Product of Girls State. Cool huh?

EDIT: I am a sucker for progressive legislation

 

[Janitor]

Neither major party has shown any interest in revising the tax code to penalize taxpayers for each additional child they have, rather than to reward them with tax deductions. Maybe you could try something like that. Of course, it would have zero chance of becoming reality.

Incidentally, I just read in the paper yesterday that California is expected to top the 50 million population mark in something like 20 years.

Can you spell P-O-L-L-U-T-I-O-N and C-R-I-M-E, boys and girls?

 

[kat]

I think Janitor, that the role he is playing is a fairly conservative role..family orientated. hehe

 

[Gokul43201]

Here's a few issues that come to mind :

1. TRADE : trade with Cuba, International minimum wage, trade with countries violating civil rights or sponsoring terrorism, import duties, agricultural tariffs

2. BUSINESS & ECONOMY : taxing offshore businesses, social security reform, education reform, media ownership, corporate anti-corruption laws

3. HEALTHCARE : legal liability of doctors and surgeons, artificially inflated prices of medication, import of foreign drugs, liability of restaurants and fastfood chains, Medicare reform

4. SOCIAL ISSUES : gun control, affirmative action, civil unions, security vs. civil liberties, cruelty to animals, FCC decency laws, transportation safety laws and driving violations, the death penalty

5. ENVIRONMENT : Kyoto treaty, new allowances/incentives given by EPA to energy companies, oil exploration in Alaska, alternative energy resources, deforestation

6. DEFENSE : validating the need for a first strike, transparency of defense budgets, legal status of enemy combatants, adherence to Geneva Conventions, military draft, statewise allocation of defense funding and resources

7. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS : Immigration laws, US-Mexico border, Cuba, relationship with United Nations, Africa

8. POLITICS : campaign finance, gubernatorial recall requirements, appointment of juducial members, gerrymandering laws, separation of church and state

P.S : Rob Bishop is in the House Armed Services Committee. Find out what he has been doing. Is there anything there, you have an opinion about ?

 

[Robert Zaleski]

Bishop is a republican that votes party line 97% of the time. Attached is Bishop's position on variest issues. www.issues2000.org/House/Rob_Bishop.htm - 56k - Cached

 

[bulloughclan]

Well, that sounds very fun and interesting! Tell us more about it while we think of something. Where will this be held? Who is sponsoring it? How many people are involved?


This simulation is called "Cross Fire on the Floor" and will be held at the salt lake capital building, it is being sponsored by Simulations Institute and there will be about 30-50 people involved.

More questions:
“Do you think the US Government has any bad laws that might need fixing?”
Yes, I don't like the no child left behind bill or many of the nations economic policies.

“Do you think there are any environmental issues that need to be addressed?”
I'm sure there are but I am not aware of any specifics at this time.

“What are you passionate about? Something that you might be able to write a bill to assist in the advancement of that passion? (science? literature? sports?)”

In life, Literature,
In politics, Economics.

 

[bulloughclan]

P.S : Rob Bishop is in the House Armed Services Committee. Find out what he has been doing. Is there anything there, you have an opinion about ?

Yes, I agree with what I have found so far but that is mostly stuff on how he is committed to keeping Hill AFB.

 

[Mattius_]

I competed in my state and was given the chance to come to this very competion.

 

[bulloughclan]

Hey guys what would you think of a bill to put a freeze on budget increases of all governmental unions excepting what which is necessary to compensate for inflation and population growth?

Ps. the currant population growth rate is .6%

 

[Janitor]

Could you define for me the sense in which you are using the word "unions"? (It is probably a perfectly good word to use, but I am ignorant of its meaning in the particular context of what you wrote.)

 

[bulloughclan]

Could you define for me the sense in which you are using the word "unions"? (It is probably a perfectly good word to use, but I am ignorant of its meaning in the particular context of what you wrote.)

Governmental Unions: Organizations on the pay role of the government such as the police, fire fighters, and labor forces.

 

[Tsu]

Has anyone heard anything about the retirement plan for the US Senate (I think)? I believe I read somewhere (on these forums?) that they get a full salary after they retire, and that, upon their death, their spouses continue to receive half that amount until they die. IF this is true (I've googled a bit, but came up with bupkis), I'd sure like to see a bill written to stop THAT malarky!

 

[selfAdjoint]

Quis custodet ipsos custodes?

(Who shall watch the watchmen themselves?)

 

[Janitor]

Thanks for the clarification on the meaning of the term, bulloughclan.

 

[Gokul43201]

Hey guys what would you think of a bill to put a freeze on budget increases of all governmental unions excepting what which is necessary to compensate for inflation and population growth?

Ps. the currant population growth rate is .6%

A bill like that will never pass. How do you handle emrgencies with a restriction like that ? The idea is noble (I guess you're staring at the National Deficit and wondering how they let it get so big...) but needs pehaps a little more thought to figure through all possible objections, contingencies and alternatives. Still, there's a lot of sense in proposing limitations on government spending.

 

[russ_watters]

Since this is a school project, don't constrain yourself to anything. It doesn't matter if the person you are representing yourself as would approve of your bill and it doesn't matter if it would ever have a chance of passing. This is your opportunity to suggest something that simply should be done.