Yesterday, I reported that House Bill 14, that would bar undocumented aliens from Virginia's public colleges and universities, had passed the House of Delegates. I learned from the TD this morning that what I thought was a final vote on Friday was merely a preliminary vote. I am sorry for the mistake.
President Bush, Mayor Wilder, Hillary Clinton, and other politicians. The above is an example of an apology. It accepts responsibility without making excuses or trying to place the blame on others.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Oops! I Blew It
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1 comment:
You are correct that HB 14 has not yet passed it's final vote in the House of Delegates, but it has passed all of the major hurdles.
In the House of Delegates a bill goes though four major steps. First, the bill is introduced and assigned to a Committee. Probably 90% of bills that fail die in committee.
When a bill passes committee, it goes to its "First Reading" in the House which is basically an announcement that the bill will up for discussion the next day. They do take a voice vote on the bill, but this is just a technicality.
The next day the bill is up for its "Second Reading". This is when all of the action happens. During the Second Reading a bill can be amended, and this is when any debate on a bill takes place on the House floor. The bill is then voted on, typically by voice vote, but a recorded vote is used on anything controversial. This is where 1% of the bills that fail die, and this is the vote that HB 14 passed yesterday.
The next day the bill is on its "Third Reading." The bill's title is read and a recored vote is taken. When it passes, the bill is communicated to the Senate and the process starts all over again. Rarely does a bill not pass its third reading.
Of all of the votes in the House the Second Reading is the most important. So while you were not technically correct in saying that the bill had passed its final vote, for all intents and purposes it has passed the House.
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