The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Natalie W. during the 2008-2009 League.
Mission: Observe - Legislature Meeting
I entered the capital and was surprised by the business and loudness that greeted me. I walked into the board room where the Michigan representatives meet to pass bills, make motions and vote on important issues and issues that are of much less importance.
I was amazed at the looseness of order that enveloped the room. The representatives were walking in and out of the room, talking loudly to each other, laughing, and eating. Even when the Speaker of the House would announce a bill that was to be voted on they all kept chatting away. I had expected everyone to be very serious and attentive but it wasn't so. The lady that I attended the meeting with said "They kind of act like kids, don't they", I agreed.
The meeting was at noon but we were a little late. The meeting started out with the Pledge of Allegiance, which was the kick off to the session. Then certain representatives who had brought along notable people to the conference would recognize them by having them stand. The day that I attended there were four men from the National Guard, it was very encouraging to see our representatives praise and acknowledge the men who put there lives on the line to protect this country. After the recognition period motions and resolutions were brought forth. The politicians agreed to set up a memorial for a World War Two Veteran who had also been a representative in Michigan and had done several noteworthy things for the state. Then they moved onto presenting and putting forth bills. They also were asked to concur the amendments the Senate had made to the bills they had introduced earlier. This process is done at a very rapid pace.
The Speaker kept things moving and was constantly asking people to come back to their desks and vote. It was difficult to know exactly what they were voting on, especially when they were concurring changes to a bill, because they would not explain what the bill was about. The representatives had a lot of ground to cover that day because that meeting would be one of the last meetings before the end of the year. So they had many things to be resolved. Mrs. Cropsey, (the lady that invited me to the session) her husband is a senator and his Committee meeting went until four in the morning. So it was very possible that the Rep.'s would have a long night ahead of them.
It was a neat experience and an interesting one at that. I enjoyed it and was glad that I was offered the chance to go.
