Welcome to The Civics Desk, I am Marcus Delgado. This week's question came from a dad in Phoenix whose daughter was following a bill for a school project. The bill was introduced, it got a number, it got referred to a committee, and then nothing. No vote, no debate, no news. She asked him why, and he asked me. The honest answer is that this is what happens to most bills, and it happens on purpose. I am joined by a former committee staffer who spent six years deciding which bills got a hearing, and she is going to explain referrals, calendars, markups, and why a chair's schedule matters more than almost anything else. We will also show you how to track a bill yourself. You are listening on Witspeak Podcasts.