In actual practice, several days, weeks or months may elapse before the bill is scheduled for floor debate. When it is debated, it faces an uncertain fate. The bill may pass routinely, or it may pass with a close vote, after heated debate, or it may fail to pass and be defeated. Frequently, a bill is amended on the floor. In that event, the bill is returned to the second reading stage and must later be rescheduled for another third reading and another round of floor debate. After a bill has negotiated all of the hurdles in its house of origin, it is transmitted to the other house where it must proceed in the same manner. If the bill manages to pass both houses, the Senate and the General Assembly, it then goes to the Governor for action. The Governor may sign the bill in the form that it is presented or may suggest further changes as the condition for signing. This action is known as a conditional veto. If the Governor has strong objections to the bill, he may give it an absolute veto. In this event, the measure can become law only if both houses of the Legislature pass it by a 2/3 vote. League Action Throughout this legislative process, your League has been playing an active role. Letters outlining the League's position on behalf of municipalities have been sent to the appropriate members of the Legislature at all stages-when the bill was in the original committee, soon after introduction, when it came up on the floor for debate, in the other house, if the bill moved, and ultimately to the governor, if the bill progressed to his desk. In the course of a typical session, the League's correspondence files grow to impressive proportions. About 100 or so bills affecting municipalities do survive the process and become law in the average two-year session. How does the League arrive at a position on the hundreds of bills that affect us? It does so through the efforts of the League Legislative Committee. This 100-member body reflects the broad spectrum of municipal viewpoints. Officials from all parts of the state reflect the concerns of rural communities, suburban municipalities and our larger cities. The committee also comprises a cross section of mayors, governing body members, attorneys, engineers, managers, clerks and other key local administrative officials. Following each meeting of the committee, League staff members write an avalanche of letters outlining the position that the committee has taken at the meeting. Usually within 48 hours, these letters are in the mail to members of the Legislature. Officials in every municipality are also notified of the legislative committee's findings through the familiar Legislative Bulletin which is sent to the mayor, each member of the governing body, the municipal clerk, the attorney and the manager or administrator. In addition to reporting the committee's feelings on various bills, the Bulletin also reports on all the bills having a local impact which become law; and it carries special alerts on developments that require special action by our members. The bulletin can be accessed via the League's Home page at NJSLOM.com Municipal officials around the state can be assured that through the League, the concerns of local government are being brought to the attention of the State Legislature on a daily basis. Through the League the concerned voices of municipalities are being expressed in Trenton. How You Can Help But the League is your League. It speaks on your behalf, and to be effective it needs you to take an active part. Here are some of the things you can do to help the League help you. Read your Legislative Bulletin and file it for future reference Establish a dialogue with your own senator and assembly members. Talk with them or write to them about the bills that will be good and bad for your town. Strongly oppose bills which: Mandate new or increased services at the local level without providing state funding to support them. Decrease local tax revenue sources. For example, granting additional exemptions from the local property tax, decreasing state aid programs to municipalities, mandating local policies that should be determined at the local level. Don't forget that you are part of the League. When you receive a special alert, follow through on it. If you do not, you may have to live with the consequences. When you receive notice of a hearing in Trenton, try to have some official in your community come to Trenton to testify. And most importantly, try to enlist the help of your citizens. As taxpayers, they are the ones who will bear the burden of costly programs mandated by the state. Encourage them to support the League position. Remember, what happens in Trenton has a very direct bearing on your town and your programs and on your ability to serve your citizens. It is vitally important that the Legislature and the Governor be kept informed of the local viewpoint. There is a lot to be done. Work with your League and through your League, so we can get the job done together.