(gentle music) - Hello, a lot of people wonder how laws get made.

Now, your parents and your grandparents had the old "Schoolhouse Rock!"

♪ I'm just a bill and ♪ I'm only a bill song ♪ We won't be doing any singing today, but we will have a lot of fun showing you how laws get made, so let's go inside.

Welcome to your state capital.

My name is Carlton Wing and I was elected by the people of North Little Rock and Sherwood to serve in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

Now, most great ideas come from people just like you, who reach out and share their thoughts.

- You know, I think people in Arkansas should be kind to each other.

- Hmm, that's a good idea.

So in the legislature, we explain how that idea would be a good law by writing it down on a piece of paper that we call a bill.

Now, we file that with the clerk, who then stamps it and gives it a number.

- This is House Bill 1001.

- Thank you.

Before a bill can become a law, it has to be discussed by a small group of legislators called a committee.

Now, this is the first time that legislators get an opportunity to ask questions and to vote.

If most of them feel that it is a good idea, then the bill can move on to the next step.

Now, to demonstrate how a committee works, I'll be playing all of the roles in a committee today.

Welcome to the House State Agency's committee.

(gavel cracks) The first item on the agenda is House Bill 1001, an act to require that Arkansans treat each other with kindness.

Representative Wing, you are now recognized to present your bill.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

House Bill 1001 addresses something that is very important to our society.

We should all be kind to each other because then we'll be happy.

And even when we disagree, we won't be disagreeable, which means that we'll all still be very happy.

At this point, members of the committee can start asking questions.

Now, some of the members may be supportive, but others may need a little more convincing.

Representative, you are now recognized for a question.

Representative Wing, I have read this bill, and I think you're trying to do something good here, but what if I am having a bad day?

Do I still have to be kind to someone else?

Yes, I think if you are kind, it will help your day go a lot better.

But what if someone has really made me mad?

I may not want to be kind.

If this bill passes, do I have to be nice to somebody who really doesn't deserve it?

I know it may be hard, but I think if you can forgive that person who is rude and still be nice, I think that will help that person be kinder to you.

Hmm.

Some legislators may need to really get into the details of a bill to make sure that it is all good.

I see on page 2, line 32 that it says that if someone is not kind for the second they have to wear a t-shirt that says, "I am not kind but I am working on it."

Will those words be big enough to read?

Can you read this?

- Yes.

Then it is big enough.

Has everyone asked all of their questions?

Well then, let's take a vote.

All in favor, say, "I."

"I."

Any opposed, say, "Nay."

"Nay."

Okay, I'll say, "I."

The Is have it.

So the bill passed unanimously out of the committee.

Now, it will be heard by all 100 members of the House of Representatives, which represent every city, every county, and every part of Arkansas.

The room where these members meet is called the House Chamber.

The Speaker of the House leads the group in the discussion on the bill.

This session is called to order.

(gavel cracks) The first item on the agenda today is the consideration of House Bill 1001.

Representative Wing, you are now recognized to present your bill.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Colleagues today, I am very grateful to be able to present a very important bill for your consideration.

At this point, the sponsor of the bill presents why he thinks this bill would be a good law.

All 100 members of the House of Representatives listen in, and then get an opportunity to ask their own questions.

Representative Wing, this morning, I stubbed my toe really badly, and it hurts a lot.

I don't feel like being kind to anyone.

Will your bill get me in trouble?

- Great question.

I think that if you are kind to someone, it will take your mind off of your stubbed toe and you will feel better.

After the discussion on the bill, the Speaker of the House calls for a vote.

The decision before the House is the consideration of House Bill 1001.

Prepare the machine, Mr.

Clerk.

(bell dings) Then, all of the legislators vote on the buttons on their desk.

Green means yes and red means no.

And just like that, all of the members of the House of Representatives decided that this bill would be a good law, but this bill's journey is not over yet.

The legislature is half House of Representatives and half Senate, and senators have their own committee rooms, and they ask questions in their committee meetings just like in the House.

Now, there are fewer senators, so their table is a bit smaller, but they still ask questions.

And if most of them like the idea, then the bill goes in front of the entire Senate.

In Arkansas, there are 35 senators who represent every city, county, and part of Arkansas, just like the 100 House members.

And if they decide they like the bill, then it only has one more step to become a law.

Now, once the bill has been approved by all of the members of the House and the members of the Senate, the last step is it goes to the governor of the state of Arkansas, Governor Asa Hutchinson.

Thank you for joining us.

We've got a great bill for you today.

An act to require that Arkansas treat each other with kindness to declare in an emergency and for other purposes.

- Listen, I think this is an excellent bill.

It's very carefully drafted as well.

It defines kindness and unkind.

It has a penalty section in there.

And so Representative Wing, I'm going to sign this bill because I want to support kindness.

Approved.

- And now, we see how an idea from someone just like you can turn into a bill, which can turn into a law, which can help Arkansas turn into an even better place to live.

So we thank you, Governor Asa Hutchinson, and we thank you for watching.