Today’s Agenda (4/21/15): 1)Constitution Review/Go over HW (Schools Ordered to Observe Constitution Day) 2)Today’s Central Questions 3)Legislation (How Laws Are Created): Overview 4)Group Activity: Determining “Legislative Intent” of an “Unclear Law”…

For Tonight: Finish Medical Marijuana Now Legal, But Rules and Enforcement Unclear article questions (due tomorrow) Section Assessment 1 THIS Friday (4/24)

Constitution Review What are our “three branches of gov’t”? How do “checks and balances” work between the branches of government? What does “federalism” mean?

Applying the Bill of Rights:

HW: Schools Ordered to Observe Constitution Day Sen. Robert Byrd (D. WV) Served Born 1917 – Died 2010

Today’s Central Questions: What is meant by the term “intent”? How do we deal with a law that may not be exactly “clear” in its meaning?

Today’s Goal: Gaining a better understanding of how the legislative process works

Overview: How Laws Are Created

Responsibilities of the Legislative Branch Legislative = lawmaking body 1. national statutes (“laws”) are created by the US Congress (House of Reps & Senate) 2. Often include laws dealing with national defense, public health, and taxes

Legislative Branch (cont’d) State Legislatures 1. Can be bicameral (two-houses) or unicameral (one-house) 2. Laws they pass include state education laws, criminal laws, traffic laws, etc.

Legislative Branch (cont’d) 3. Any law passed by a state legislature may not contradict the Constitution of the US; this is known as the “supremacy clause” (found in Article 6 of the Constitution)

Creating a Law All laws start out as bills 1. bill can create a new law 2. bill can cancel an old law Ideas for bills can come from the following: 1. gov’t representatives 2. the President 3. individual citizens or groups of citizens Senator John McCain speaking on behalf of his Bipartisan Campaign Reform Bill in 2002

Creating a Law A law must be written in language that all can understand 1. should include the overall purpose behind the law 2. should include regulations or rules to follow 3. should include appropriate consequences if a law is not followed correctly

Creating a Law (cont’d) Laws are often debated and then voted on by members of a legislative branch 1. if majority vote no, bill is canceled 2. if majority vote yes, the bill passes and goes on to the executive branch Members of the House of Representatives listening to a debate

Creating a Law (cont’d) Executive Branch must decide to sign the bill into law or veto a bill and cancel it out Former President George W. Bush signing the USA PATRIOT ACT into law in October 2001

Creating a Law (cont’d) The Job of the Supreme Court in Legislation 1. sometimes the language of the law is not clear enough for everyone to understand 2. SC will use its power to clarify or interpret what it believes the law to mean; this is known as figuring out the “legislative intent” of a law An artist’s rendition of an argument being made before the 9 Justices of the US Supreme Court

Group Activity: Determining Legislative Intent City Council Meeting Simulation

Closure: In your opinion, do citizens need to take a more active role in the creation of laws?