The Bill Hub

By: Nat Salm 

On Friday afternoon, I interviewed Lieutenant Governor Caleb Schwahn about a new form of organization used in the governor’s cabinet called the Bill Hub. This concept was brought to their attention when the lieutenant governor and governor were in Minnesota checking in on their Youth in Government. As they were talking with the governor of Minnesota they heard about this idea that allowed them to organize every bill that went on the model gov floors. This idea also helps the governor’s cabinet work more efficiently with their debates. It also allows them to be more involved with the rest of YIG instead of having to constantly monitor the assembly and senate. 

Before I tell you how it works, here’s what it is. The Bill Hub is a Google spreadsheet that all of the governor’s cabinet has access to. They use this sheet to discuss the bills and their thoughts and feelings on them. They also use this spreadsheet to review and debate the bills before they can even cross the floor.

As I was talking to Caleb, he said that he was really surprised with the performance of the governor’s cabinet. This performance came as a surprise to him because on the first night they had already reviewed all the bills and added their notes. This time was definitely a record for the governor’s cabinet all thanks to the Bill Hub. This idea has proved itself fruitful with helping the efficiency of the governor’s cabinet.

Overall, implementation of the Bill Hub has led to not only the efficiency of the governor’s cabinet, but also the passing of bills. After day one, the governor’s cabinet was already feeling more accomplished and a lot less worn out. The Bill Hub increased the productivity of the executive branch.