Key Features of Legislative Debate
I. Introduction of the Bill
A. Reading of the Bill by the Clerk
B. * Opening Statement by Bill Author (two to three minutes)
II. Question & Answer Period (approximately ten minutes)
A. Always thank the chair: “Thank you, chair.”
B. *Two Types of Questions
1. Point of Information
2. True/not True
“Will the author yield to a question?”
“Is it true that…” or “Is it not true that…”
3. Yield your time: “I yield my time (to the floor).”
III. Pro/Con Debate (approximately twenty minutes)
A. Alternating pro/con speakers (must begin and end with con)
“I’d like to speak in favor or against this bill.”
B. Always thank the chair: “Thank you, chair.”
C. *Yield your time: “I yield my time.”
Ending Debate (for II. or III.)
1. Make a motion: “I’d like to make a motion to move the previous question.”
WE WILL SKIP THIS PART - OTHERWISE OUR DEBATE WILL TAKE FOREVER!
2. The chair will ask for a second.
3. The chair will ask for ayes and nays.
4. The chair will declare the outcome.
5. Call division in between gavel strikes when in disagreement with the chair,
which will result in a standing vote (also applies to the final vote on the bill).
IV. Concluding Debate
A. Closing Statement by Bill Author (one to three minutes)
1. The statement should begin with a thank you to the chamber for
the quality of the debate in considering the bill.
2. The body of the statement should answer the most serious
objections by con speakers or objections not sufficiently
answered by the chamber itself.
3. The ending of the statement should include a concluding statement that passionately urges the passage of the bill for several concise and specific reasons.
B. Voting on the Bill
For your Practice Bill - You just take Mr. Jessee's bill and flip it to fit our class proposal.
SENATE BILL 1
PURPOSE: To improve the educational quality of North Carolina’s public school
system by eliminating block scheduling
INTRODUCED BY:
Mr. Jessee
Cary High School
Cary, North Carolina
1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE SECOND PERIOD YOUTH LEGISLATURE
2
3 Section 1. For the purpose of this bill, “block scheduling” shall be defined as
4 any arrangement in which class periods last over an hour long.
5
6 Section 2. For the purpose this bill, neither the number of instructional days
7 nor the number of instructional hours as stipulated in current law
8 will be changed.
9
10 Section 3. Block scheduling will be eliminated in all public middle schools
11 and all public high schools in North Carolina.
12
13 Section 4. Local school districts may decide upon the number of classes that
14 will take place during each school day, as long as none of the
15 classes lasts longer than one hour.
16
17 Section 5. Schools and school systems may request waivers for some flexible
18 scheduling allowing for slightly longer classes on an infrequent
19 basis, such as for science labs, guest speakers, arts programs,
20 standardized testing, etc.
21
22 Section 6. Students must take the core classes of language arts, math, science,
23 and social studies all year long.
24
25 Section 7. Electives may be offered in the following formats: year-long,
26 semester-long, and quarter-long. Local school districts and
27 individual schools may decide upon the format of their elective
28 classes.
29
30 Section 8. This law shall go into effect at the beginning of the 2013-2014
31 school year.
32
33 Section 9. All laws and acts in conflict with this law are hereby repealed.
BLANK BILL TEMPLATE IS HERE!
| legislative_debate_bill_template.docx |
The introduction should include:
The reason
The pros to this bill
PATHOS ETHOS and LOGOS.
Here is the example of the closing argument we looked at in class:
Look for the Pathos, Ethos and Logos. Strive to get these rhetorical devices in your closing!
The world was a different place in 1787. The life expectancy was only about 34 years old. In 2014, the average life expectancy is 78 years old. We have learned what it takes to live a longer and fuller life. Men, women and children could and would drink whiskey, rum and wine...sometimes three times a day. We now have a legal drinking age because we learned that when children drink, their physical and mental being is threatened. In 1787, white men who owned property were the only people who could vote. As a country, we have learned that men and women of all races can and should vote because united we stand, divided we fall. Hunting was a part of daily life in 1787. We have since learned to hunt only during certain seasons so as not to disrupt the ecology of our earth. In 1787, law enforcement was sparse. We have since learned that we must not only have law enforcement, but they must be educated in order to become law enforcement. Guns were ubiquitous due to the needs that came along with life in 1787. We, as Americans continue to learn and grow as a nation. Our duty and responsibility now is to learn from situations like Columbine and Sandy Hook. If we have learned nothing else, we should have learned that an innocent child dying because they went to school is wrong and it is our duty as adults is to keep the children safe. If we can take steps to make students safe, why aren't we doing so? People should not have guns so readily accessible. Mental health examinations should be mandatory and there must be an age limit that restricts access to minors. Our obligation is not a threat to our constitution. Our obligation is a promise to our children. Many things have changed since the times of 1787; it is now time to change with the times again, because it is the right thing to do...it is the only thing to do.
If I'm absent, these are your plans...but if I'm here...don't do this!
1. 1/2 Page Journal:
How would a person’s personal experiences affect the way he or she votes on legislation? Give at least two valid and important reasons.
2. On the same sheet as your journal answer the following questions. BE SURE TO EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWERS! Three sentence minimum for each question.
~What is bias? (This is in your notes peeps!)- ~Can bias be avoided?
- ~Can the same information be used by different people for different purposes?
- ~Is it possible for voters to filter out bias in order to make more informed
decisions? In other words, can voters see just the facts and none of the slanted information presented? - ~ Will you avoid using bias when presenting your bill? Why or why not?
- 3. Get with your BILL partner. QUIETLY work on the following tasks together:
- 1. View this website
- 2. Work with your partner to go through the details of the bill and make sure they all make sense. After that, you should work together to come up with five more pros and five more cons about your bill. You must also remember that you are trying to put this into law...which means it cannot be something like "all students in NC will start school at 8:00 am." Why? Because that is not logistically possible. Durham County is smaller than Wake County, how can each district be forced to do the same thing? So you are looking at making a law like some of these.
- 3. Start your research for your slides (see below). Make sure you are documenting WHERE you are getting your information from...this is important for your works cited. You may want to check out
- EasyBib.
decisions? In other words, can voters see just the facts and none of the slanted information presented?
