On completion of this assignment: You will understand the regulatory processes that govern the sales and distribution of fermented foods as well as regulations intended to limit pathologies and social ills that are associated with fermented food consumption.
Assignment: You will prepare, present, and debate legislation that improves the positive use or decreases the abuse of fermented food.
Background: Participation in this class makes you aware of the significant role that governments play in regulating and taxing fermented foods. These regulations are intended to enhance food safety, assure public health, and provide revenue to the government at all levels. It will have become evident that control of fermented foods also provides power and very often underlies government corruption. Efforts to enhance public safety often run afoul of perceived individual liberty. Your task is to prepare the materials required to propose legislation in a summary form and then debate/defend that legislation.
Topic: Each team will choose the subject to be addressed by each group. Each team will design a legislative solution for that particular subject.
Group Assignment: You will be randomly assigned to groups. Your group can be accessed in ELMS on the ‘People’ page and then ‘Groups’. You are responsible for communicating with each other via the group space. ELMS Group Space (see below) is suggested for documenting your communications. Your group will be responsible for communicating with each other and setting a schedule and method of communication you all agree on. Keep documentation of your communication.
Suggested schedule - Please do not leave this exercise until the last minute. Start working on it as soon as your groups are assigned.
Suggested group initial meeting: The first meeting is a brainstorming exercise. Each team will also agree on a group contract due at the end of class when the project is charged. You are expected to bring whatever materials you have gathered from reading books, web materials, or personal interviews to your group meeting. You will be expected to circulate materials that you feel are important to the other members of your group, come up with a rough
plan in a single group meeting, and then develop the plan to be submitted via ELMS. Google Docs is suggested as a collaborative environment.
Requirements: Your group will prepare a handout to the whole class. The first paragraph will provide legislative language that will state your approach to changing the law assigned to your group. A second paragraph will provide the rationale for the change in the legislation. A third paragraph will summarize the expected cost or benefit to the municipality or state. This is your group handout to be supplied to the whole class via ELMS. The debate will be held in class.
Deliverables: upload files to ELMS. You can upload multiple files to ELMS and also replace files with the same name.
1. A paper (double-spaced) that includes one paragraph of legislative language that will state your approach to changing the assigned law. A second paragraph that provides the rationale for the legislation. A third paragraph will summarize the expected cost or benefit to the municipality or state.
2. An outline of each team member’s contribution to the exercise.
3. A PowerPoint with 1 slide with title of proposed legislation and bulleted points for pros and 1 slide with title of proposed legislation and bulleted points for cons.
4. Prepare a 2-minute introduction to the legislation, and 2-3-minute pros presentation and a 2-3-minute cons presentation. Half the group will present the pros, and half the group will present the cons.
PART II
Each group will post:
1. One question to all of the other groups in “Discussions” in ELMs. After consulting with their group, one group member will post a question on
behalf of their group. The question must be posted by Sunday, 12/10 at 11:59 pm.
2. After consulting with their group, one group member will post a response to each question on behalf of their group. Responses to all questions posed to your group must be posted by Monday, 12/11 at 11:59 pm.
ELMS Group Space
When your groups are created, a group ELMS space will also be created. You access it by clicking on the three dots and clicking on People > Groups > ‘Visit Group Homepage.’ In this ‘Group Homepage’ you’ll have access to tools to communicate with each other. You must upload your files to the ‘Files’ folder in the group homepage. That way all your classmates will have access to the latest work.
ELMS Gradebook
You must upload your files to the assignment in the ELMS gradebook in addition to the ELMS space.
Drafting Legislation by 
The Legislative Drafter's Desk Reference by 
Retaking Rationality by 