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Why the focus on roll calls? Well, votes mean things. If they didn't, the DFL and GOP caucuses of the Minnesota House and Senate wouldn't spend thousands of hours preparing and offering and debating hundreds of amendments and motions and demanding roll call votes on them. If votes weren't important, the Minnesota Constitution wouldn't require a roll call vote to pass every bill. Members wouldn't be given a little card to show the cops that they have privilege from arrest when they are on their way to the Capitol to vote.  

If votes weren't important the House and Senate rulebooks wouldn't require members to vote or at least explain to the body why they won't.  There wouldn't be a giant tote board on the House floor that lights up green or red beside each member's name depending on a yea or nay vote. 

Make no mistake - legislators have a hard job.  Parades and doorknocking all summer long, complex constituent issues to deal with, endless meetings and hearings, travel, many days spent far from home. But legislators don't have to march in parades.  They don't have to go doorknocking and they don't have to give speeches and hold press conferences. 

But they do have to vote.

On BillsandVotes.com the vote is the news - not the press conference, not the speech, not the polls or the campaign.  Please check back often and don't forget to sign up for the newsletter.