The Issue

The legislature is debating legislation to regulate vending machines in all K-12 schools. The bill would require that vending machines provide only healthful alternatives. While the guidelines will be determined by rulemaking, some of the items that will definitely be banned include: candy products with more than xx grams of sugar per serving; candy products with more than xx grams of fat per serving; sodas with more than xx grams of sugar per serving and sodas with more than xx grams of caffeine per serving.

General Points in Support of the Bill

 America's youth are becoming more and more obese. The products served in our school's vending machines are exacerbating this problem.

 This action will improve the marketplace for healthful snack alternatives.

 The sugar and caffeine in these products often serve to increase the attention and focus problems many children face. Children will not be banned from eating these products. The schools will simply stop playing a role in supplying them.

General Points in Opposition to the Bill

 It is not up to the schools to determine the eating habits of children or teachers. These decisions should be made by those individuals themselves.

 The revenues from these vending machines are used to pay for a range of school expenses, from football team uniforms to band trips. Machines serving healthful alternatives are not likely to generate the same amount of income.

 In banning these machines, the schools are sending a message that some foods are "bad". People should be able to make those determinations themselves and to gain an understanding that most foods are acceptable in moderation. Rather than banning the machines, the schools should provide more education on healthy nutrition and the benefits of exercise.

 Banning these foods on campus will cause many students to leave the school campus during the day in search of their preferred snacks. This will create additional safety concerns and cause potential increases in tardiness.

Note that these are only a few general points to provide an overview of the issue. Students should research the issue further to develop quality arguments.

The Players: Managers

Materials: Description of all members and talking points

Responsibilities:

 Manage time, allowing every member on your side to speak at least once

 You have 15 minutes total, broken in to three 5 minute sections

 Participate in at least one press interview

 Make sure best arguments get out

 Make sure best speaker closes

 Rebut spurious accusations of the other side

 Keep members "in line". Don't let them switch

 Convince the undecideds

Rep. Jones (R), Floor Manager for the majority

Introduced the legislation. Chair of the Commerce Committee. Strongly supports legislation. District very conservative, suburban area with a high percentage of hospitals and health insurance companies. In addition, "Healthy Snax", the largest manufacturer of good-for-you goodies is headquartered in the Congressman's district. Jones' constituents see childhood obesity as a serious problem. They are also strong supporters of any efforts to help kids focus and do better in school. Rep. Jones received 74% of the vote in the last election.

Rep. Means (D), Floor Manager for the minority

Co-chair of Commerce. Strongly opposes legislation. District very liberal, urban area with a mix of lower income individuals and academics. Means' constituents see vending machines as a great way to raise money for schools that desparately need the revenue. The district also houses a small liberal arts university which has about 6,000 students. Means' company base is mainly small businesses and the university. Rep. Means received 72% of the vote in the last election.

The Players: Members

Materials: Your "identity" and general talking points

Responsibilities

 You must play your part

 You must speak at least once

 You must give at least one interview

 Make points that will "play well at home"

 Listen to your staff

 Make sure your initial decision is the right one (you can change your mind)

Rep. Abernathy (R), supports legislation

Rep. Abernathy serves on the Committee with Rep. Jones and has always been a loyal lieutenant. Abernathy represents an area of the country that was recently ranked the "Most Obese", according to a ranking done by the Centers for Disease Control. District moderately conservative "bedroom" community of a larger urban area. Abernathy's constituents generally drive their cars to work (rarely walking or biking). Health insurance premiums are a big concern. Rep. Abernathy received 65% of the vote in the last election He has his eye on a Senate seat.

Rep. Silva (D), opposes legislation

Rep. Silva serves on the Committee with Rep. Means, and vehemently opposes the legislation. In fact, he offered an amendment in committee to essentially "gut" the bill. District is a very poor, inner-city area. The main business is a candy packaging factory that provides many jobs for inner-city residents. The factory also sponsors events at the local high-school. Silva's constituents do not communicate much with the congressional office. Those who do are looking for the office to help them with economic development initiatives. Silva's business base is almost non-existent with high turn-over rates. Most talk to the office about the need for additional loans. Rep. Silva received 85% of the vote in the last election.

Rep. Gallery (R), supports legislation

Rep. Gallery has reluctantly come out in support of the legislation. He is a member of the Committee and supported the Silva amendment to gut the bill. However, he thinks that the bill is better than the status quo. Plus, he promised the chair he'd vote for the bill on the floor if he could vote for the amendment in committee. His own legislative initiative is riding on this promise. District leans Republican although is by no means safe. Most residents have not thought much about the issue of vending machines in schools. Rep. Gallery received 55% of the vote in the last election.

Rep. August (R), opposes legislation

Although she is a Republican, Rep. August is bucking her party on this issue. She has always been a strong supporter of civil liberties, and is concerned that the legislation violates certain individual rights. District leans Democratic. It is an up-and-coming "high tech" area. August has been able to hold the seat as a result of her strong support for education and other issues. Plus, people like her. Her constituents generally support the idea that schools should use whatever means they can to raise money, but haven't thought much about this issue. They are in frequent contact with the office and are deeply divided as to the best approach. The business community, including a number of high-tech vending machine companies, argues that there are other ways to address childrens' weight and attention problems. Rep. August received 54% of the vote in the last election.

Rep. Earle (D), supports legislation

Rep. Earle surprised no one when he came out in support of the legislation. Many of his Democratic party colleagues have called him a "turncoat" in the past. Rep. Earle has a following among the younger "renegade" minority members. District is very blue-collar, with mainly union and minimum wage jobs. The refinery provides most of the employment in the region. Constituents are concerned about their children's future. Many want to see a better life for their kids than refinery work. The business community hasn't expressed any views on this issue. Rep. Earle received 62% of the vote in the last election.

Rep. Faire (R), Opposes Legislation

Party leaders were shocked when Rep. Faire announced her opposition. She has led the crusade for improving children's health, even sponsoring legislation to limit advertising of candy to youth markets. Rep. Faire argues that the legislation goes too far. She'd rather err on the side of protecting individual rights. She'd like to see government focus more on efforts to increase physical activity among kids. District is rural, with a high percentage of Quakers. Constituents are not very concerned about the issue, as many schools do not even have vending machines. The business community, on the other hand, agrees with Rep. Faire, and strongly opposes the legislation. Many of them are concerned that government efforts to restrict the food available in schools will lead to restrictions of other kinds. They are also concerned that the reduced revenue will negatively impact the schools' ability to educate. Rep. Faire received 68% of the vote in the last election.

Rep. Sienna (R), supports legislation

Rep. Sienna strongly supports the legislation and would go even further to abolish all vending machines from schools. In fact, Rep. Sienna believes that the federal government should take a hands-off approach to almost every issue that Congress considers. District very conservative rural area. Strongly Republican. One-room schoolhouses are still in use, and many parents home-school their kids. The library has one old soda machine that no one uses.

Constituents agree with Rep. Sienna and are proud to have him fighting for their money in Washington. The business community supports the legislation. Rep. Sienna received 80% of the vote in the last election.

Rep. Denny (D), opposes legislation

Rep. Denny has come out in opposition to the legislation, although it is a very tough call. Her district schools are desperately in need of the money provided by vending machines, but parents in the area oppose allowing kids access to sugary snacks. The parents group that supports the local high school marching band opposes the legislation, as the band is using the money from vending machines to finance their trip to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. On the other hand, the PTA has come out strongly in support of the legislation. They argue that the band can finance their trip through other means. District is a suburban area. Many workers commute the nearby university and businesses in the medium-sized city nearby. Rep. Denny received 52% of the vote in the last election.

The Players: Staff

Materials: Member / Party assignment (one staff person for the supporters and one staff person for the opponents), notes to READ to members, and member descriptions for your assignments

Responsibilities

 Read each round's "note" to the pertinent member during that round (i.e., round one note during round one, round two during round two, etc.)

 DO NOT GIVE THE MEMBER THE CARD. He or she must assimilate the information verbally

 You must get to all your members during the round and you may not share the information with other staff or members (you may have to pull the members away from other discussions / press)

Notes for Rep. Abernathy (supports)

Round One: A close friend of yours has been named the new CEO of Chocolate Heaven, a candy bar company. He is urging you to change your mind., saying that he will work to integrate more healthful alternatives into the product line.

Round Two: Your constituents, previously silent on the subject, are calling your office in droves asking for more information about the President's "More Active Kids" program. The President announced this program in an attempt to kill the bill. He argues that the real problem is youth immobility, not necessarily diet.

Round Three: Senator Smith (the senior Senator from your state) has just called to let you know about the vote in the Senate. He voted against the bill, and urges you to do the same, especially since it will never become law. He says that state-wide, this issue is a killer.

Notes for Rep. Silva (opposes)

Round One: A front page story in your local paper highlights the differences between school finances in your district vs. the neighboring wealthy suburb.

Round Two: In a recent national report, your community is ranked below Bosnia is terms of high school graduation rates.

Round Three: The local radio station is running a show about the staggering high school drop-out rates in your district. They are urging people to call YOUR office to try to fix this appalling problem.

Notes for Rep. Gallery (supports)

Round One: Thre's a story on front page of local paper about how the lack in school financing is affecting your area. In fact, the local football team missed the state championships because their bus (which is funded in part from vending machine proceeds) broke down on the way to the game.

Round Two: Dr. Laura is on the air praising you for your courageous switch. She says you've put children's health ahead of big government.

Round Three: Calls are pouring in from your district in response to Dr. Laura. Unfortunately, most of them (70%) are from people who are very angry that you changed your mind. They're saying they will support your opponent.

Notes for Rep. August (opposes)

Round One: Your Republican opponent (who has a significant fundraising advantage over you) has called a press conference to denounce what he calls your opposition to efforts to improve child health. He wants to know why you support taking authority away from parents and giving it to government.

Round Two: A local business group "Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities" (financed in part by Chocolate Heaven, a huge candy manufacturere) has just awarded you their "business leader of the year" award. Constituents are calling in to congratulate you!

Round Three: A major campaign donor has indicated that if you continue in your opposition of the bill, they will cancel a scheduled fundraiser.

Notes for Rep. Earle (supports)

Round One: Your office is the target of a phone-in campaign, but unfortunately most of your constituents do not understand the issue. Nevertheless, they're asking you to change your mind.

Round Two: A local morning TV show ran a story about the lack of funds in schools and libraries throughout the region. In fact, in a national study, announced today, your state ranked dead last.

Round Three: A major disaster occurs at the refinery. Workers have been killed and injured. Your constituents are clamoring for you to get home. Problem is that in order to get back today, you'll have to miss the vote. Your opponent is arguing that your place is with your people, and if you don't get back, you don't deserve to represent them.

Notes for Rep. Faire (opposes)

Round One: Your legislation (passed last year) to limit advertising of candy to youth markets is having its first test case. A self-described defender of the first amendment is put on trial for advertising high-sugar, low nutrient candy in child care centers.

Round Two: Dr. Laura is appalled (and sharing that with her listeners) that on the very day your legislation is being implemented, you have decided to oppose this legislation. On the other hand, the technology community has praised your foresighted approach.

Round Three: Your constituents, including your pastor, are begging you to change your mind, while the local chapter of the Child Psychologist's association is praising your courage.

Notes for Rep. Sienna (supports)

Round One: Because you feel that the federal government has no role to play in regulating any private enterprise, you had filed a brief in a case at the Supreme Court arguing that there should be NO limitations on the First amendment. This is in response to a case regarding recent legislation to limit the advertising of candy in youth markets.

Round Two: Dr. Laura, who disagreed with you on the question of advertising of candy, is glad to see that you two see eye to eye on the Vending machines.

Round Three: Your constituents, concerned about the recent refinery fire that made national headlines, want you to spend less time on vending machines and more time looking into safety issues and refineries in your district.

Notes for Rep. Denny (opposes)

Round One: Legislation to regulate the advertising of candy in youth markets that you strongly opposed (and gained strong points in the district for doing so) is about to be tested in the Supreme Court.

Round Two: The President wants to cement your opposition to the bill with the promise of some funds from his "More Active Kids" program. He'll give you 2.5 million to complete a project you've been working on for years.

Round Three: Your opponent has called a press conference regarding your total disregard for the financial needs of the small business community.

Players: Press

Materials: Description of members you are responsible for

Responsibilities

 You must interview the two people you are responsible for at least once and report at least once on each person

 Ask "tough" questions at each round

 Report during the debate to TV crew

 The two managers are unassigned. Only the best reporters will be able to get to them

 Interview the undecideds as well

Press Person Number One Assignment: Abernathy and Silva

Press Person Number Two Assignment: Gallery and August

Press Person Number Three Assignment: Earle and Jones

Press Person Number Four Assignment: Sienna and Denny

Players: TV Crew (1 person)

Roam around trying to get the reporters (and an occasional member) on tape.

Must get to all four reporters twice each.