Essential to know what you’re signing: Process requiring governor take final action on legislation as complex as bills themselves

Ever wonder how a bill becomes law?
Well, the state Legislature’s website provides a pretty thorough look at that, complete with a graphic explanation.
You can also request a copy of the Legislature’s brochure, “A Bill Becomes Law,” by contacting one of its public information officers.
Needless to say, neither goes into all the legislative rules used to navigate or manipulate some of these bills.
Neither do they go into great depth about action by the governor after it emerges from both chambers — the House of Delegates and the Senate — in the same form.
At press time, Gov. Jim Justice had signed off on 211 of the 294 pieces of completed legislation. He has vetoed three bills and has about 80 pending.
Any bills not acted on by midnight today become law without the governor’s signature.  After the Legislature adjourns, the governor has 15 days, excluding Sundays, to act on most bills.
Of course, all completed bills go through a wringer of proofreading and legal reviews, and are signed off on by six people before ever even getting to the governor’s desk.
Not only are the speaker of the House and the Senate president required to sign off on them, so, too, are clerks from both chambers and representatives of both’s committees on enrolled bills.
Many of the 294 bills approved by the Legislature were probably not even received by the governor until days after this year’s session ended March 9.
In case you’re wondering, 1,823 bills were introduced in this recent session. Those 294 bills add up to a success rate of about 16 percent.
But by now, everyone is starting to ask, “What’s the hold up, here”?
Still, judging by the snail-like committee process in the Legislature and bills bouncing back and forth from one chamber to another, this final leg of how a bill becomes law looks almost speedy.
In this day and age of electronic documents, emails, texting and such, requiring so many signatures almost appears burdensome.
Yet,  crossing “t’s” and dotting “i’s” on completed legislation is imperative before a bill becomes law. It’s important someone carefully read what so many are signing off on.
Mistakes are not only embarrassing, but costly and can further harm our government’s credibility.
There’s no question that requiring the governor to take action, or not, on these bills calls for more than a rubber stamp. Still, many of us will still decry this long and arduous process to enact a law.
And even then it may not guarantee our government is acting in our best interests.
But it does ensure there is no rush to judgment on attempting to act in our best interest.