Pillars of the Statehouse
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
22 | LEGISLATIVE STAFF Pillars of the Statehouse Legislative clerks and secretaries enforce the rules, record proceedings, and this year, celebrate the 70th anniversary of their professional staff network. BY Angela Andrews hief clerks and secretaries may be few in number, but they’re mighty in stature. They were the first type of legislative staff and are the backbone of a legisla- tive chamber. They serve as parliamentarians, chief administrative officers and record-keepers. They over- see the legislative process and ensure its rules, tradi- Ctions and practices are followed. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS), the professional organiza- tion for these legislative staff members. As their jobs have grown in complexity and expanded in responsibilities, it’s clear the organization has not only provided great professional develop- Clerk of the ment opportunities, but personal support as well. House of Karen Wadsworth, clerk of the New Hamp- Representatives shire House of Representatives since 1994, says Karen Wadsworth the organization is like family with coast-to- New Hampshire country that you can call in a moment’s notice to coast connections. “When most people see that your job title get professional advice,” says Patsy Spaw, sec- is clerk, they think it’s someone ringing up an retary of the Texas Senate and immediate past order at 7-Eleven. It’s nice to be part of a group staff chair of NCSL. “I’ve had the opportunity that understands exactly what I do and that has to be mentored by, and rub shoulders with, the the knowledge to answer my parliamentary best of the best who care about your professional questions,” she says. development.” Secretary of Scott Kaiser, assistant secretary of the Illinois But, beyond the professional development the Senate Assistant Senate, adds that it can boost one’s confidence to and support, ask any member what the society Patsy Spaw Secretary of the know, from talking with other clerks and secre- means to them and the answer is always the Texas Senate taries, that the frustrations, challenges and strug- same: friendship. “I’ve met wonderful friends that I’ve been able Scott Kaiser gles he faces as part of his job in Illinois, “are no to share life experiences with and, if given the opportunity, I’d Illinois different elsewhere.” do a lot for them in a heartbeat,” says Patrick O’Donnell, clerk of The American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries is the Nebraska Legislature and former NCSL staff chair. “We are an “incredible network of clerks and secretaries from across the all in a similar position, and we all have passion for our work and respect for the legislative institution.” Angela Andrews is NCSL’s staff liaison to the American Society of Legislative The organization was founded in 1943, but clerks and secretar- Clerks and Secretaries. ies date as far back as 1619, when the first-known U.S. clerk, John STATE LEGISLATURES | SEPTEMBER 2013 LEGISLATIVE STAFF | 23 “When people see that your job title is clerk, they think it’s someone ringing up an order at 7-Eleven. It’s nice to be part of a group that understands exactly what I do.” —KAREN WADSWORTH, CLERK OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Patrick O’Donnell A Presence Behind the Podium Patrick O’Donnell, clerk of the Nebraska Legislature, has spent more than 36 years protecting the institution. He is the longest serving clerk currently in office and one of the most respected. He’s a guiding light for those new in their roles. “I try to sensitize new clerks and secretaries about their role in the legislature. I want them to understand that they help state legislatures work better.” O’Donnell got his start in Nebraska’s Unicameral in 1974, as a Clerk of the senior in law school. Three years later he was elected assistant clerk, Legislature and by the “tender age of 28,” as O’Donnell describes it, he was elected Patrick clerk. When asked if he actively sought the position, O’Donnell says, O’Donnell “I was the guy left standing, but I was also in the right place at the Nebraska right time. I was scared to death, but I was also willing to work hard.” At the national level, O‘Donnell served as president of the American Society of Legisla- tive Clerks and Secretaries in 1987 and as staff chair for NCSL during the 1989–1990 term. He also has participated in periodic revisions of Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure. Colleagues across the country often seek O’Donnell’s advice, insight and wisdom, but what’s the best advice he’s received? “A few years after I was elected clerk, one of my members said to me: ‘You know what you’re doing, now start acting like it.’ That’s when I learned that having a presence is important.” Twine, oversaw the House of Burgess in the Colony of Virginia. tary scholar Luther Cushing in “Cushing’s Manual of Parliamen- Not surprising, the duties of the job have expanded greatly tary Practice: Rules of Proceeding and Debate in Deliberative since then. Today’s clerks and secretaries are also responsible Assemblies.” for oversight of public and media relations, chamber technology, “At the end of the session, it is the business of the clerk to see purchasing, printing, and fiscal and human resource operations that the journal of the session is properly prepared, and fairly of the legislature. Spaw, for example, oversees 15 departments, transcribed from the minute books, the printed votes, and the both administrative and legislative. She manages 300 staff original papers that have been laid before the house,” he writes. during the legislative session and 250 during the interim. During sessions, they call roll, tally votes to ensure quorums, read bills Many Paths to the Top into the record and maintain decorum during debates. For most clerks, secretaries and their staff, their interest in But a lot of their work is behind the scene. “Reading of the policymaking walks them through the doors of the capitol, but bills, taking the roll call ... that’s a small part, but the most vis- their love of the institution and of the legislative process is what ible part, of our job,” says Kaiser. Seventy percent of a clerk’s keeps them there. Although the job requires many skills, there is work is administrative and takes place off the floor, he says. no formal degree program or training to become one. A key part of that administrative work is preparing the cham- Kaiser got the job of assistant secretary after serving as a pol- ber’s journal, the official record of legislative action, a task that icy adviser to the Illinois General Assembly and to Governor Jim remains from when Twine was required to “attend at the table Edgar. He has always been intrigued by the legislative process, and take notes of the orders and proceedings,” writes parliamen- holds a deep respect for the institution, enjoys the traditions of STATE LEGISLATURES | SEPTEMBER 2013 24 | LEGISLATIVE STAFF TakeAre thisYou quiz Smarteron legislative Thanrules and a procedures Parliamentarian? before you answer. What could be more fun than to study a little parliamentary procedure? It won’t be time wasted. Rules and pro- cedure are at the heart of the legislative process. “Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure” is used in about three- fourths of state legislative chambers and is the source for these answers. A state constitution and a chamber’s rules may trump these answers, but having a general knowledge of all the rules gives a lawmaker the advantage. Let’s practice! —Brenda Erickson 1. Rules of legislative procedure: 6. The enacting clause: 11. A motion to recess: A. Cannot be altered A. Is located above the signature line for A. Terminates a meeting upon approval B. Can be derived from custom, usage and the governor B. Is subject to debate precedents B. Is added to legislation once approved by C. Is out of order when a quorum is absent C. Aren’t generally followed both chambers C. Is required for a new law to be valid 12. A parliamentary inquiry is: 2. How many motions are available for A. A request for information use by a legislative body? 7. During debate: B. The same as a motion A. 40 to 60, depending on the size of A. Members who yell the loudest get to C. An investigation into a member’s conduct the body speak first on the floor B. 101 (based on the dalmatian rule) B. Members may express approval by C. An unlimited number clapping and cheering 13. The decision of a deliberative body C. Members should contain remarks to the is made: 3. A substitute bill is: issue before the body A. By taking a vote at a meeting A. A new, original introduction B. After each member has expressed an B. A form of an amendment 8.The motion to adjourn: opinion C. A temporary replacement A. Can be made only when there is a quorum C. When the presiding officer votes B. Is always in order 4. A legislative body may discipline C. Cannot be reconsidered 14. A subcommittee: members: A. Reports directly to the senate, house A. Never—that power lies solely with the 9. A joint session: or assembly executive branch A. Requires the senate and house to merge B. Is governed by the same rules as its B. As it deems it appropriate into one body parent committee C. Only when there’s trouble in paradise B.