CongressLine by The State Legislatures  My world of legislative
monitoring is completely focused on one legislative body - the
U.S. Congress. But from time to time, I get inquiries about the
states. When such inquiries come, my usual reaction is either
laughter or a shudder. Anyone who has some familiarity with the
procedures and mechanics of the U.S. Congress should have no
trouble understanding the process in the states since they are
almost identical in structure. However, they may well be
bewildered by the culture and sorely disappointed with the type
and quantity of the information they can receive.  Every state
has a legislative system that is a nearly identical to the
Federal government in that each has a governor, each has a two-
chambered legislature (except Nebraska), and each has state
agencies that report to the Governor and are funded and overseen
by the legislature. Bills wind their way through both chambers,
committees, and to the Governor in much the same fashion as
Washington, DC. That is wher