A Note in the Oakview Bulletin
Dear Oakview neighbors, Last week at our community center, we made a poster about state government. I learned that a state has three important parts of government with different jobs. The jobs can connect, but one part does not do all the work of the others.
The state legislature is made up of elected lawmakers. These lawmakers discuss and vote on statewide laws. They can also approve a state budget. For example, lawmakers might pass a law about training for people who work in child-care centers. The idea becomes a law only after it follows the state's lawmaking process and receives the governor's decision.
The governor is the state's elected leader. When a bill reaches the governor, the governor may sign it or veto it. After a law takes effect, the governor can direct state agencies as they carry out the law. An agency might write instructions or provide services that help put the law into practice. The governor does not write every law alone.
State courts have a different job. Judges hear legal disputes and interpret state laws. They also interpret the state constitution when people disagree about what a law means or whether it follows the constitution. A court may decide how a law applies in a particular case. Courts do not write new laws, and they do not run state agencies.
Think about a question from our poster: A person in Oakview says that a state law conflicts with the state constitution. The state courts would consider that legal question. If lawmakers later want different wording in the law, the legislature would work on the law. These examples show why the three parts of state government need different jobs. Sincerely, Talia Nguyen