Early February is typically when national signing day will take place, where high school athletes sign a National Letter of Intent declaring their college decision. For sports like football and basketball these decisions are watched closely by fans, and the decision of a few key players can result in the turnaround of a college team or the eventual downfall of a program. National signing day is the ultimate inside game for rabid college fans. In politics, while not as high-profile or sexy, the committee assignments of legislators, which occurs every two years in the House, can determine the likelihood of legislative success based on who is named a committee chair and which legislators make up a committee. For political junkies, this is the ultimate inside baseball, with a big impact on success, or failure, of legislation.

While important, few people know or follow the committee assignment process closely. In Michigan, the House speaker appoints several members to the Committee on Committees. While it seems like one of the most bureaucratic committee names of all time, these legislators make the recommendation of what committees each member should serve on. A few general things to note:

• • Committee names, or policy areas, are left to the full discretion of the speaker. From speaker to speaker, you’ll see committee names changed or adjusted to reflect the policy area that leader wants each committee to focus on.
  • Committee size is at the discretion of the speaker. The number of members on a committee is adjusted, as well as the majority-minority ratio, to fit the expectations of the speaker.
  • Prior to committees being named, each legislator is asked to identify the committees they want to serve on and whether they want to serve on policy committees, appropriations committees, or both. Their preferences help to direct the appointments, but do not guarantee an appointment to a requested committee.
  • Logistics play a big role in appointments. The Committee on Committees help manage the schedule so that legislators are not on two committees that meet at the same time.

Much like any game, to be successful, you need to know the rules and the process. The Committee on Committees process sets the chess board for the two-year legislative cycle to allow for the legislation to be introduced and move through the legislative process.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.