New Colorado lawmakers learn the ropes

With the elections behind them, freshman lawmakers have now embarked on an equally challenging endeavor—learning the ropes of the legislative process. In new-member training sessions scheduled this month and next, incoming lawmakers are getting a crash course on everything from sponsoring bills to wielding parliamentary procedure–i.e., the stuff that rarely make news but that consumes most of the legislature’s time every session.

On hand in the House of Representatives at one of the orientation sessions last week was the outgoing Democratic majority leader, Paul Weismann, of Louisville, who led the freshman class in a scripted dress-rehearsal of procedure on the House floor. The lesson involved some pretty basic, but essential, advice.

“When you vote, push your button, look up at the board to make sure it’s the color that you want, and that you actually vote,” said Weismann. “Don’t hold your button down –or it wipes it out.” - More -