Holiday Reading For Lobbyists

Capitol Currents:

If you tuned in to just about any of the interim committee hearings this week, you heard lawmakers engage in a curious ritual:  Introducing a slew of draft bills, known as "legislative concepts," and then promptly disavowing them. This doesn't mean they didn't agree with some of the proposals contained therein. But many--submitted at the request of a constituent, task force, commission, etc.--were clearly something that lawmakers didn't want their names attached to.  Now, that long list of legislative concepts (they become "bills" when they're actually introduced on the floor of the House or Senate) is available for your reading pleasure.

The list is way too long for anyone who doesn't take perverse pleasure in government-ese to sift through. But it's fun clicking on random LC numbers to see what turns up. Why, here's a proposal that would set in motion a plan to require bicyclists to obtain licenses. And here's a plea for Congress to fund "mobile health care buses for women veterans."  Stationary buses just won't cut it for the people behind this cause, who didn't follow the command of a previous editor of mine to avoid using the words "woman" or "women" as an adjective.

Somebody apparently wants to lower the maximum penalty for failing to file ethics statements. Someone else thinks the state needs a Task Force on Technology and Security of Personal Health Care Information. And someone else thinks the state really ought to look into Oregon's "geological opportunities."

And on, and on, and on. It's worth noting of course that many of these bills will be shuffled off to committee once the session starts and never see the light of day again. But if you're a lobbyist whose job is to put out fires before they start, now is the time to take a careful look at what legislative pitfalls may await.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3320471128493510714-8064889464124606452?l=www.capitolcurrents.com" alt=""/></div>

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