Welcome to the Section 3AA, 4AA, 5AA and 6AA Registration page for 2023-2024 Congressional Debate Tournament to be held in-person at Eagan High School on December 6th and 7th.

Registration: Schools may register up to two (2) entries for the Section Tournament. STUDENTS MAY NOT DOUBLE ENTER in Congress and other debate events. So, if a student competes in the Congress Section Tournament by MAY NOT participate in the LD, PF or Policy Section Tournament in January.

Please remember there is NO ALTERNATE process for individual events. Please ensure students who are competing are available to debate on January 17th and 18th.

Schedule: The following schedule will be used:

Friday - December 6th, 2024
Session 1 - 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Dinner Break - 5:30 to 6:15 PM
Session 2 - 6:30 to 8:30 PM

Saturday - December 7th, 2024
Session 3 - 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Lunch Break 11:00 to 11:45 AM
Session 4 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Legislation: Schools can submit up to ONE piece of legislation to dj@brynteson.info for the tournament. Legislation must be submitted by November 18th at 9:00 AM. Schools will then have from Nov 18th to 21st to vote for their top 8 pieces of legislation. Two packets of legislation will be produced (Friday Packet & Saturday Packet) in the order to be debated based on preference of voting. This is a set docket tournament.

Legislation Link: https://s3.amazonaws.com/tabroom-files/tourns/33737/postings/57982/Sections20242025Fixed.pdf

Friday (In Order)

• A Bill to Aid Myanmar
• Power America Act
• A bill to Establish a Universal Basic Income
• A Resolution to secure America's future abroad
• A bill to put an age cap on presidential nominees
• A bill to mandate cognitive testing for federally elected officers 65 years and over
• A bill to prevent prescription drug abuse
• A bill to require insurance companies to cover weight loss
• A resolution to amend the constitution to include a felony clause

Saturday (In Order)

• A bill to aid Syria
• A bill to stabilize central Africa
• A bill to establish individual data privacy
• a bill to ban the use of minors in media
• A resolution to establish a national sales tax
• A bill to amend the nuclear waste policy act of 1982
• A bill to improve bridge infrastructure
• Inclusive special education reform act
• A bill to establish a State-Owned bank of Minnesota

Rules: For the official rules and processes please see the MSHSL Website -https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/files/2021-09/2021-2022-debate-rules-and-policies.doc

Judges

Amanda Soczynski
Arthur Harris
Bonnie Brynteson
Claire Sagstuen
Cody Dorumsgaard
Hayley Pierce Ramsdell
Heather Fairbanks
Janet MacNally
Kathy Martin
Mark Thul
Matthew Kolstad
Patrick Champ
Renee Barthlowmew
Robert French
Saahil Gudi
Tammy Trout McIntrye
Tom Lucas

Dates & Deadlines

November 1st– Registration is open

• Each school is allowed to send two students to the MSHSL Section Tournament in Congress. Per the MSHSL Rules a student who competes in Congress Sections IS NOT ELIGIBLE to then compete in LD, Policy or Public Forum Sections.
• Although registration isn’t due until December we do need to get an idea if you plan on sending students to the tournament. So you can register TODAY and on the use the TBA Slots in Congress option. This will allow us to plan for the correct number of judges. With the growth of Congress these last couple of years we may reach the magic number to have four chambers at Sections. Registering, even with TBA numbers, will allow us to plan for the correct number of judges.

November 18th – Legislation is due

• Each school is allowed to submit ONE piece of legislation for consideration.

November 18th to November 21st – Legislation Voting

• Each school is allowed to rank vote the legislation (top 8) and we will use those votes to split and set the docket for both days.

November 23rd – Legislation is released

December 3rd – Add deadline

December 6th and 7th – Tournament to be held in-person at Eagan High School

Notes & FAQ

Q. Can a student compete at Sections in Congress and then in LD/PF/Policy if they fail to qualify?

A. No. Per MSHSL rules the student can compete in a single event.

Q. Do I need to provide judges for sections?

A. No. They are covered by the MSHSL.

Q. What are the entry fees?

A. Yes, an entry fee will be assigned to your school and invoiced to your Activities Director. You have no specific action to take.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.