Policy Matters: Good ideas get better with more input
By: Ahniwake Rose
Guest Columnist
June 2, 2021
Ahniwake Rose
If only there were a “good idea” fairy who could swoop down and grace us with brilliant insights. Instead, good ideas are birthed through a curiosity to find a better way, and they become shaped through experience and expertise. A good idea doesn’t wither during conflict or debate. Rather, it becomes stronger through the process.
As the most recent legislative session was concluding, I considered the path that laws take from idea to passage. It’s not straightforward, and that’s by design. The democratic process makes creating good laws a lengthy, even messy, process. This allows other viewpoints to be considered as bills wend through committee evaluation, amendments, floor debate, and approvals from both chambers – sometimes multiple times – before they get sent to the governor for signature.