GOVT 2306 Bill Tracking Activity Step 4 – Paper

 

For this assignment, you will pick and report on one of the legislative bills from the 86th Texas state legislative session. You will take a position on whether you support the bill passing or not. In order to support your position, you will need to provide information about the proposed legislation. Access more information about the bills at the Texas Legislature Online (TLO) site https://capitol.texas.gov /Reports/General.aspx. When you are looking for information on the TLO website, make sure that you are looking for your bill in the 86(R)-2019 list. This represents the 86th regular legislative session.

Directions for bill information paper

 

Length and Style

· Your paper should be in MLA format and double spaced.

· Minimum length is four full written pages and a works cited page.

Sources and Citations:

· You must use at least four (4) credible sources. (Texas Legislature Online website and your textbook count as sources. Periodicals count as sources.)

· Wikipedia and Google are NOT sources in and of themselves.

· Include citations for ALL sources you use.

· A separate works cited page MUST be included.

· Short form citations (parenthetical) within the body of the paper must be included.

Submission:

· Your paper must be turned in via eCampus in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format.

· This assignment must be turned in on time to be eligible for credit.

Rubric

· Your paper will be graded according to the rubric available in eCampus.

· Please review the rubric and refer to it when writing your response to make sure you follow directions and receive the maximum points possible.

Content

 

1. Position

Clearly state your position about this bill in both your introduction and conclusion. Do you support this proposal or not?

 

2. Details About the Issue – Use the following prompts to guide your research and writing. Due to the variety of bills that are being researched, not all of this information is readily available about all of the bills. You can add additional information if you find something interesting and relevant about your particular bill.

· What will the proposed legislation do?

· Provide some background or history as to why this bill might have been proposed. Why did this issue rise to the point that it needed to be proposed as legislation in the Texas state legislature?

· Explain how this bill relates to larger state or national issues.

· All bills have proponents and opponents. Discuss those who support the proposal and those who are against it and explain the positions of the different sides. (Sponsors, special interests, opponents, etc.)

· What are the political pressures for or against the legislation?

· In class, we identified several court cases that have challenged Texas laws. Consider the constitutionality of the proposed bill. If the bill passed, might the state have to defend the resulting legislation in court? Look the issue up, it might already be involved in litigation.

 

3. Details About the Bill Process –

· Provide an overview of the history of the bill from the “Bill Stages” tab. Where did the bill end in the legislative process by the time you submit your paper?

· Was there a companion bill introduced in the other chamber?

4. Conclusion

· Provide a conclusion that brings together your research to support your position.