Professional Learning Update “Law, Language, and Power”

Law, Language, and Power

Demica Sanders, Ed.D.

As a child, I remember waking early on Saturday mornings to begin my cartoon regime. While my parents cooked breakfast or sometimes before they woke up, I would sit on the couch watching the Smurfs or some other cartoon that caught my attention. During the Saturday morning programming block, Schoolhouse Rock would air short educational films. As I write this, I can vividly hear the words, “I’m just a bill, just a lonely old bill…” I learned a lot of information from these videos on grammar, science, math, economics, history, and civics – specifically on how a bill became a law. As I grew up and developed other interests, these videos became less of my Saturday morning routine, but the premise of them stuck with me for a lifetime. Today, February 2, 2021 is the beginning of the legislative session and like some of you, I need Schoolhouse Rock to help me understand the legislative process!

For you to understand the process, it is vital that we understand a little about the nature of the lawmaking body, as well as the history of the Legislature. According to the Alabama Department of Archives and History, the 1819 Constitution of Alabama created a General Assembly (known as the Legislature after 1901), which included a House of Representatives and Senate. This group was charged with the writing the laws of Alabama within the framework of the Alabama and U.S. Constitutions. Today, there are 140 members who comprise the Legislature: 105 members of the House of Representatives and 35 Senators. Each member of the Legislature serves a four-year cycle called a quadrennium.

Prior to her appointment as CLAS Director of Professional Learning, Demica Sanders was the superintendent in Midfield City Schools. In addition, her educational career encompassed a variety of roles including special education coordinator, adjunct instructor, staff development trainer and classroom teacher.

Demica is married to Tim Sanders and they are the parents of Jaylon (18) and Kameron (14). She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and shopping.

@demica_sanders

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The Legislative session is the time in which the Legislature meets to conduct business, specifically to introduce bills that may become law and to pass the state general fund (SGF) and education trust fund (ETF) budgets. Usually the Legislature convenes in regular annual sessions on the first Tuesday in February except during the first year of the four-year term. When this occurs, the session begins on the first Tuesday in March. In the last four-year term, the session begins the second Tuesday in January. Regardless of when they meet, the length of the regular session is limited to 30 meeting days within a period of 105 calendar days. There are usually two meeting or “legislative” days per week, with other days devoted to committee meetings. Special sessions of the Legislature may be called by the Governor.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

they? Social distancing, masking, and sanitizing has become common place, along with temperature scans. There will be no citizens or lobbyists allowed in the chambers or the hallways to ensure no coronavirus outbreak. Additionally, the legislators will limit their sessions to a two- week period and then break and reconvene. There are already 241 pre-filed bills in the House and 131 pre-filed bills in the Senate, which should make for a remarkably interesting session!

Your Role

Now that you have a basic understanding of the Legislative Session, what is your role in all of this? As the 2021 Legislative session begins, there will be bills that ultimately affect you and your stakeholders, so pay attention and stay engaged. John Lewis once said, “when you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” CLAS is partnering with you as we begin this 2021 Legislative session. Each week, Dr. Wilson will send out Legislative updates to keep everyone abreast of important educational bills. I encourage you to watch for the Friday updates and stay engaged during the 2021 session.

Legislative Session During a Pandemic

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s legislative session will look and feel different. Legislatures will conduct business, as usual, or will

Citations:

https://archives.alabama.gov/legislat/legislat.html https://www.wallacestate.edu/government/legislation www.alreporter.com/2021/02/02/2021-alabama-legislative-session-set-to-begin