Majority Whip John Bell (R-Wayne County) talks about his job in the Republican legislative leadership with Capital Tonight’s Tim Boyum. Click on the image to watch the interview.
What’s a Whip? What do Whips in the legislature actually do?
According to Slate Magazine, “they count votes. The principle task of a party whip … is to keep track of the number of votes for and against a piece of legislation. They’re also responsible, along with the party’s leader, for ‘whipping up’ support for a particular position. Not every vote gets whipped. If the party leadership knows that a bill is going to pass easily, they won’t go to the trouble of counting every last vote. But when the vote is close … whipping is necessary to get a more accurate head count.”
Click here or on the image above to watch a fun and informative interview with Representative John Bell, the Republican Majority Whip in the North Carolina House of Representatives. The segment begins at the 8 minute mark.