STUDY LEADERS’ Consensus Questions Worksheet  

Instructions:  Mark the answer below each question that best reflects your members’ views.  Then ask the General Questions and record the chief points.  Use the space for Additional Comments to record any strong points of agreement not already covered, including any strong opinions by your members that the Consensus Questions seem to exclude.

I.   The Committee System

Committee Membership and Chairs

1.	In the assignment of members to committee, the following factors should be considered:

	a.	Political party ratios within a chamber.

		Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

	b.	Expertise in the subject matter handled by the committee.

		Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

	c.	Previous experience on the committee.

		Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

d.	Other.  Please explain: ________________________________

_________________________________________________________

General Question

A.    Which of the above should be the most important consideration(s) in assigning members to committees?   _____________(letters).    Why?

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

2. 	Which of the following procedures should be used in selecting committee chairs?  (Circle the letter of the selections your Leaguers agree should be used) 

a.	Appointment by the elected leadership of each chamber.  

	b.	Appointment by majority party leadership in each chamber.

	c.	Election by the full membership of each committee.

	d.	Election by the majority party membership on a committee.

	e.	Committee seniority (length of service on the committee).

	f.	Committee seniority calculated by party (majority member with the longest service on the committee).

g.	Other.  Please explain: ________________________________ 

General Question
	Explain briefly the most important reasons for the procedure(s) chosen for selecting committee chairs.

  

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Committee Jurisdictions

1.	Both the House and the Senate should maintain clear jurisdictional lines for each standing committee. 

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

2.	All legislation in the House and Senate, including bills returned from Conference Committees, should be sent to a committee based on jurisdiction.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

General Question
How strongly should League support an emphasis on committee jurisdictions and why?

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Committee Operations and Procedures

1.	Each committee should have an established budget controlled by the committee chair.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree 

2.	The minority party should be given a prescribed portion of funds allocated to each committee.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree	

3.	Both chambers should require all committees to establish and maintain written rules.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree	

4.         The method of selecting committee chairs should be part of the written rules of 
             each chamber.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

5.	House and Senate rules should include mechanisms for members to call committee meetings should the committee chair fail to do so.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree	

6.	All committee meetings should be open to the public.
	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree	

7.	All committee votes should be true roll call votes, with each member called on by name to indicate his/her vote.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree	

General Questions
Which of the procedures covered in questions 1-7 are most likely to produced improvements in the committee system?   Why? 

Which seem unnecessary or unwise?   Why? 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

II.       Staff Support

1.	The LWVAL’s existing position in support of the Legislative Fiscal Office should be maintained.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

2.	Legislative staffing based on nonpartisan, professional support is the appropriate model for all legislative support agencies.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

3.	A policy analysis support agency should be established by the legislature.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

4.	If a policy analysis agency is created for the legislature, its operations should include:

	a.	Appointment of the director by joint action of the House and Senate leadership.

		Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

	b.	Merit selection of the director.

		Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

	c.	Merit selection of all analysts.

		Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

	d.	Director selection of all analysts.

		Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

	e.	Nonpartisanship 

		Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

	f.	Giving priority in task assignments to assisting the leadership and committee chairs.

		Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

	g.	Giving all members equal access to agency assistance.

		Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

5.	Every legislative committee should have access to objective legal advice.	
	
		Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

6.       More clerical staff for members in legislative offices is a high priority.
	
		Strongly Agree            Agree               Disagree          Strongly Disagree

7.       Clerical staff for legislators in their districts should receive some state 
           funding.
          
Strongly Agree           Agree               Disagree          Strongly Disagree

General Questions

A.  Should the League favor additional support staff for legislators?
If yes, what kind(s) should receive highest priority?  

B. Are there specific recommendations about the form of the support?     

     
C   How might funding be secured?    

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

III.  Transparency    See BP: Citizen Access

Which of the following should be posted on the Internet for use by media, citizens and others?

A.	Legislative budgets (chamber, leadership, committees)
							
	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

B.	Disbursement of discretionary funds, controlled by the House and Senate leadership.

	Strongly Agree           Agree	              Disagree            Strongly Disagree

C.	Disbursement of discretionary funds that are under members’ control.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree	

D.	Information about meetings (time and exact location), agendas, roll call votes, bills and their amendments, with posting required by House and Senate rules. 
	
	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree	

E.	Filings required of lobbyists, including payment of fees and new client registration, using technology for e-commerce. 
	
             Strongly Agree            Agree             Disagree          Strongly Disagree	

General Questions

Which of the items above are most important to post?   ____________ (Give letters)   
Why?

Which are least important to post?    ____________  	Why? 	

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

IV.   Lobbying    See BP: Lobbying and Interest Groups

1.	The amount a lobbyist is allowed to spend on each legislator and her/his family without disclosure should be lowered from $249 per day to $99 per day.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

2.	After the yearly registration, a lobbyist should file disclosures of new clients within 3 days.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree	

3.	The LWVAL should establish a position calling for the banning of PAC-to-PAC transfers for use in lobbying as well as in campaigns and elections.
 	 
Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

General Question
	What changes to the regulation of lobbyists are needed and why?

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS	

V.   Leadership Selection		See BP: Legislative Basics

1.	The internal leadership of the House and Senate should be elected by the membership of each chamber.
	
	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

2.	The legislative role of the Lieutenant Governor should be limited to that of presiding officer, who makes decisions based on Senate rules and votes only in the event of a tie vote.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

3.	The Lieutenant Governor should have a role in the assignment of Senate members to committees.

Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

4.	The Lieutenant Governor should have a role in the selection of Senate committee chairs.

	Strongly Agree	Agree		Disagree	Strongly Disagree

General Questions

A.   Should the League reaffirm its support for the independent election of the Speaker by House members?  

B.   Given the issues raised about the Lt. Governor's appropriate role and the variety of ways the office is structured in this country, would your League prefer to recommend that no position be taken on the Lt Governor's legislative role?  Or, if you have a preference, what legislative role is preferred and how deep is the level of consensus on that position?

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS