…says longtime Capitol observer and Colorado State University political scientist John Straayer, the numerous committee hearings and floor debates of the House and Senate preclude any one person’s plea from being weighed too much. “It’s probably a useful and emotionally satisfying way to express your views and convictions,” Straayer said. “But the emotions expressed don’t necessarily provide the best foundation for law. … By the time legislation wends its way through the entire process, the broader perspective invariably overtakes the individual example.”

link