The View from the Balcony
Dear Friends,
As a member of the public, you can view floor sessions (when a chamber votes on bills) online for both the Senate and House, which is really convenient. You can also be there in person and sit in the back of the chamber floor as they debate and vote on bills and resolutions. However, sitting in the balcony is different.
Sitting in the balcony allows you to see everything happening on the floor, whether they are in a floor session or simply working. You may not know this, but North Dakota legislators do not get offices like members of Congress or legislators in some other states – their floor desk is their office. As a result, sitting in the balcony provides a bird’s eye view of the political process in action.
When not in floor session, you can watch them talking, discussing the merits of various bills, trying to garner support for their bills, strategizing about amendments and other changes that may make their sponsored and co-sponsored bills more likely to pass, and I suppose even occasionally talking about NDSU’s football team. They are still human.
These men and women take four months out of their year and spend it full time on crafting laws for you and me. And these are not 9-5 days. They start before the sun comes up and then work until late into the night. They need to study and understand the many bills that will come before their committees daily, every bill that will be up for a floor vote the next day, work on their own bills, etc. Honestly, I don’t know how they do it, but I do know why they do it.
When I look from the balconies, I see 141 people like you and me who are committed to making North Dakota a better place for us, our children, grandchildren, and generations to come. I see many viewpoints, from far liberal to far conservative, and honestly, while NDFALA may vociferously disagree with some of them, I still respect their commitment to their principles. I can personally attest to the fact that these legislators work very hard, so please don’t ever underestimate what they do.
The view from the balcony shows a hive of activity, and some may say it’s inefficient. I don’t see it that way. I see a living organism composed of many different parts that are working together. Some parts are like the heart, some more like an arm or foot, but all are needed and part of this body.
Please pray, support, and provide feedback to your legislators on bills. They actually want to hear from you! Bills are rarely black and white, so your call or email may help them decide which way to vote on a tough decision they’re wrestling with.
When NDFALA loses on a particular bill we backed (rarely, thanks to your support), I like to go up to the balcony. It puts things in perspective. It makes me realize that we’re all part of something larger than ourselves; in fact, we’re all part of something designed by God. That helps make those long days and nights all worthwhile.
Blessings,
