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Capitol Report

How a law is made: CLE demystifies New Jersey's legislative process

A panel of legislative experts presented a program to break down the process of how a law is made from idea to drafting to passage. Office of Legislative Services Lead Counsel Sheree Henderson, Assembly Republican Counsel Kevin Logan, and Assembly Judiciary Chair Raj Mukherji gave a peek behind the scenes of the committee room and the staff room in Legislative Basics: How to Read, Write and Pass Legislation. The program was moderated by New Jersey State Bar Association Senior Managing Director Lisa Chapland.

"The best time to chime in about changes to a bill is before it gets posted in committee," said Mukherji in response to a question about how receptive legislators are to amendments to a bill. The panelists discussed little known or less publicized means to move legislation, slow down legislation or mobilize support for a bill. "I owe the most to my district because they elected me as their representative in office," said Mukherji, discussing what bills he closely monitors.