But fast-forward to today’s times and try to get something like that on TV now. Perhaps in the mind of a 1970s, 8-year-old sugared up from all that frosted cereal he had just downed before loudly singing and slam-dancing to the little ditty, that is how government is supposed to work. Ol’ Bill was presented to both the House and Senate, which passed him unanimously and then went to the White House where the president signed him without hesitation. In a nutshell, the segment explained how legislation becomes law in Washington and it focused on something as simple as making school buses stop at railroad crossings. “I’m just a bill, oh yeah, I’m only a bill, and if they vote for me on Capitol Hill …” Jack Shelton sang in that and played the voice of the bill. One of the most famous of those skits was “I’m Just a Bill” that was designed to teach kids how government works. The singer-trumpeter-actor-comedian was probably best known for his work with Merv Griffin and that ABC Saturday morning staple, “Schoolhouse Rock.” Raise your hand if you remember Conjunction Junction and those other ditties that educated and entertained you as a child, and now songlock-torture you for hours whenever you read or hear a word or two featured in those little annoying nuggets. The legislative process is essential for our country to conduct business by allowing The People to participate through our elected officials and providing channels for the public to become involved.I will pause while you Google who he was. I recommend working with a lobbyist or policy analyst in each state where you have business. It is important to understand each state’s intricacies. While all states, except Nebraska, have a bicameral legislature, the various state legislative processes have their own culture, policies, and rules. On the national level, is your go-to site for searching bills, texts, committee hearings, and legislative schedules. Technology has made participating in the legislative process very user-friendly for everyone, even if you are not present at the Capitol. Visit this site to set up bill lists and alerts, read bill texts, watch committee hearings, and track a bill’s progress. If you are following specific bills or subjects during the Texas Legislative Session, a useful online tool is Texas Legislature Online or TLO. A helpful source to delve deeper is a legislative glossary. Once you are ready to graduate from School House Rock and House Mouse Senate Mouse, it is important to understand terms such as engrossed (when a bill has passed one chamber and moves on to the other), enrolled (when an identical bill has passed both chambers), and conference committee (a committee to resolve differences the Senate’s version and House’s version of a bill), among other terminology. The real-life legislative process includes more serious behind-the-scenes politics, negotiations, compromise, and anxiety than these two accounts depict, but the process of a bill becoming law in these stories is authentic. While these creative and easy-to-understand methods of teaching the legislative process are silly at times, they are correct. Ways and Means was where I worked when the book was published! House Mouse Senate Mouse book A bonus is the beautiful and ornate Ways and Means Committee Room showcased in the story. The book follows a class of mice students in “Moussouri” who want to establish a national cheese. Barnes and Cheryl Shaw Barnes is another fantastic avenue for teaching children, or anyone, the legislative process. The cartoon makes it easy for people of all ages to understand the legislative process. The wonderful thing about I’m Just a Bill Sitting on Capitol Hill is that it is indeed accurate, even in the midst of fun and animation. How many of us can still sing the lyrics? I believe I first learned how a bill became a law because of School House Rock! The most popular, I’m Just a Bill Sitting on Capitol Hill, came out in 1976. The first season started with the theme “Multiplication Rock” and included several videos on math. Do you remember the 1970’s School House Rock’s video I’m Just a Bill Sitting on Capitol Hill? The video was part of School House Rock’s series of three-to-five-minute videos to educate kids between Saturday morning cartoons.
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