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Taming A Dragon: Legislative History In Legal Analysis, Mark Deforrest
Taming A Dragon: Legislative History In Legal Analysis, Mark Deforrest
Mark DeForrest
ARTICLE ABSTRACT
TAMING A DRAGON:
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY IN LEGAL ANALYSIS
Mark DeForrest
The use of legislative history in statutory interpretation and analysis has been an area of intensive inquiry since the 1980’s. The debate has been vigorous and has led to the development of sophisticated arguments by both the advocates of the use of legislative history and textualists critical of its use. While the debate has been ongoing, changes in technology have made it easier than ever to access detailed legislative history for both state and federal statutes. This article discusses the impact of both the debate and the technological …