Fantasy Legislature 2007 Rules

Fantasy Legislature is an application for entertainment purposes that seeks to illuminate the activities of the Minnesota House and Senate, often beyond what is traditionally covered by mainstream media (that's us). It operates much like a fantasy baseball or football team, in which "teams" of players (legislators) are formed at the beginning of the season (session) and their performance earns individual points. Team standings are determined by the cumulative points earned over the course of the session by the lawmakers on a "team."

Team "managers" (that's you) can make player (legislator) moves during the session, but the total number of legislators on a team cannot exceed 6. During the season, managers are free to select undrafted lawmakers from the waiver pool, but if such a selection results in a team having more than 6 lawmakers on the team, an existing lawmaker on the team must be "cut" (i.e. thrown into the waiver pool). Managers may trade lawmakers to other teams, but in no case can a team's total roster exceed or be less than 6 lawmakers.

The roster can be any combination of House and Senate members totalling 6. In other words, you can pick 6 senators, 6 reps; 3 reps-3 sens, 2 reps-4sens. Your choice.

Participation:

1. The 40 2007 slots have now been filled.

2. Legislators will be drafted onto teams by Thursday December 28.

3. No further participants will be added once the Fantasy Legislature slots have been filled. But standings, analysis, and general musings and mayhem by participants will be visible.

4. Managers must keep their originally drafted legislators on their team through the first week of the session.

How it works:

Teams are awarded points in individual categories as follows:

a. 1 point is awarded for each bill filed by a lawmaker at any point during the session beginning with bills filed on January 3, 2007. In the case of multiple sponsors of a bill, the point awarded to all lawmakers listed as sponsors.

b. 5 points is awarded to all sponsoring lawmakers if the bill is given a hearing in a legislative committee. A bill may be heard by multiple committees

c. 10 points is awarded to all sponsoring lawmakers of any bill that is passed by any committee. A bill may be passed by multiple committees.

d. 15 points is awarded to all legislators whose bill is sent to the House or Senate floor.

e. 20 points is awarded to all legislators whose bill is passed by the House or Senate.

f. 25 points is awarded if the legislation is passed by the "other chamber." However, if, during the course of consideration by the other chamber, the chamber's own version of a bill is substituted, no points are awarded.

g. 30 points are awarded for passage of a bill from a conference committee only if the number of the surviving legislation is identical to the originally filed bill.

h. 50 points are awarded if the bill is signed by the governor.

i. 100 points are awarded if a bill is vetoed by the governor, but then overridden.

Within this point system, the following rules apply:

a. No points are awarded to legislation that becomes part of an omnibus bill. Why? We can't figure out omnibus bills. Can anyone.

Bonus Scoring

1. At least once per month, the league commissioner will designate a "floor session-palooza" day. Any session occurring on that day will provide for bonus scoring opportunities. Each legislator will be awarded 1 point for a floor speech during the session if it pertains to particular legislation. Only 1 point will be awarded per "floor session-palooza" regardless of how many speeches a legislator gives. Points of order that include recognition of Miss McCarthy's 4th grade class in the gallery or an expression of "Happy Birthday" wishes to a fellow legislator are ineligible for bonus points.

2. If the governor reaches into the Legislature during a session to name one of your team-members a judge in county you've never heard of before, 2 points. One point if you've heard of the county before.

Standings calculations

1. Standings are calculated on the total points in all categories accumulated by a team.

2. The season ends at midnight on the last day of the regular session.

Rosters

a. Each team should at all times have 6 lawmakers assigned to it.

b. The rosters are initially set through an entry draft held prior to the start of the legislative session.

c. Legislators who not drafted intially, go into a "waiver pool," and will be available to teams as free agents, providing a lawmaker is dropped from the team to make room for the free agent.

d. Each team must have at least two members of each party.

League size

a. We should have no more than 20 teams per league. If we get more than 20 applicants, we will set up an additional league(s).

b. At some point, we might allow closed "house" leagues (that is, participants from a single company etc.) but at present, I'm not sure we have the capacity to do that.

Transactions:

a. Teams accumulate points through the above system beginning on each Monday morning through all official legislative business on Friday at midnight.

b. There is a weekly "redraft" on Saturday. If a team wants to make any changes to their roster (through trades or free agent pick-ups), it submits the request at any time during the week and the changes will take effect on the subsequent Saturday.

c. Should more than one team desire to pick up the same legislator from the "waiver pool," the free agent will be awarded to the team with a lower record in the standings.

d. When a legislator is dropped from a team. His/her accumulated points remain with the team but no further points accumulated by the lawmaker will be credited to the team.

Administrative

a. Standings will be updated on a daily basis -- maybe.

b. A Web site will be created and will be the official source of Fantasy Legislature information. The official spreadsheet will be made available to managers. Maybe.

c. In the absence of a messaging system at this time (someday), managers are encouraged to provide an e-mail address so other managers can inquire about trades etc., (Hey, set up a G-mail account if it makes you nervous).

d. The determination of the commissioner will be final. Appeals will be considered providing they are submitted along with proof from legitimate sources, including official documents posted on the Minnesota House or Senate Web sites. Newspaper articles, TV news reports and public radio Web sites are also considered respectable. Any manager submitting a posting on a blog as official proof, will automatically lose 10 points and be subject to near constant ridicule.

e. In all matters of scoring and credit, the determining factor is the number of the bill. Should a bill be so amended that a sponsoring legislator no longer claims credit for the bill, well, too bad.

f. MPR employees are not permitted to participate in Fantasy Legislature.

Questions? Drop a note to Bob Collins.