As I entered the admired Capital building, I walked through the cafe area bustling with life. People were on Zoom meetings, discussing various bills, and catching up with each other. I walked up the stairs to the second floor and saw a chili contest between the local fire stations. Making my way to the third floor, I met up with an old friend of mine, Jim Obradovich, who is a lobbyist. A lobbyist is someone who represents corporate interests in the government. I came in on my day off from school, and I never thought I would spend five hours in the capitol building. So, let’s take a deep dive into what goes on during the general assembly.

While people might think that there’s a lot of arguing and huge debates going on in government, on the contrary, it’s quite the opposite. It is very civil for the most part and a lot of talks go on on the chamber floor. Both the Senate and Representative chambers have buttons to either vote against or for a bill, along with a button that essentially raises their hand to speak. As I admired the building, Obradovich thought it would be a good idea for me to meet with my representative, Reverend Rob Johnson. We waited, and eventually, his clerk came out to invite us to chat in the lobby area. He is such a down-to-earth and friendly person to chat with. We got around to talking about the main problem that he faces in his district, which happens to be mental health. His clerk informed us that when you call 911 in our city, they ask whether you need fire, police, EMT, or mental health services. I found that to be revolutionizing and good that emergency and first responders are now taking mental health seriously. 

Another aspect of my visit to the Capital was how boring some of the meetings can be. I followed my friend’s assistant around to subcommittee meetings that involved railroads and the publication of mugshots. I sat around with other lobbyists who either wanted the bill to push forward or challenged its progression. Subsequently, three senators walked in and were very friendly to everyone in the chamber room. Everyone introduced themselves and started discussing the bill at hand. I felt very bored but tried to understand what the bill was about. After that subcommittee meeting, we made our way down to another meeting regarding the publication of mugshots. A lot of lobbyists and senators talked about what to do with the bill, either, to move it forward or end it right then and there. Going to those various subcommittee meetings broke the stereotype that I had, which was a ton of senators and legislators yelling along with huge verbal insults. 

Everything in the Capital from the tedious meetings and conversations between the legislatures is structured. When I first entered the Capital and made my way up, I saw a monitor with all the subcommittees and committees that were on the agendas of many legislators. Sure, they had assistants and clerks to help them run things, but sometimes, it’s just good to see what they have ahead in their day.

Another cool part I never thought of regarding the legislature is how fast they can move on with various bills and acts they want to pass or are against. As mentioned previously, they have two buttons that allow them to vote for or against a motion. On the floor, they make their remarks and comments; then, get right away to voting; and off they go to the next bill. I never thought they would move on with bills that quickly; instead, I had always imagined witnessing huge debates and discussions about it.

Now, all of this wouldn’t be possible without my friend, Jim Obradovich. He has been a lobbyist for as long as I can remember. Obradovich arranged for me to get a private tour of the Capital, allowed me to sit down with a couple of senators and representatives of our state, and offered me the opportunity to sit in on a session in the House of Representatives chamber. We have been friends for many years now; honestly, without him, none of this would be possible.

Overall, it was interesting to see how the legislature operates during the general assembly and how different it is from the way media and pop culture can depict it. While most of the students at Dowling spent their day off on the Wednesday of Catholic Schools Week sleeping in, playing video games, or spending time with friends, I went up to the Capital to see an old friend and got an opportunity of a lifetime. If you ever get the chance to go to the Capital during its general assembly, do it! It is such an amazing sight to see how fascinating our legislative branch works along with meeting your representative as well!