MSHSL Section Congress Debate
2025 — Eagan, MN/US
Main
Welcome to the Section 3AA, 4AA, 5AA and 6AA Registration page for 2024-2025 Congressional Debate Tournament to be held in-person at Eagan High School on December 5th and 6th.
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 16th and 17th.
Schedule: The following schedule will be used:
Friday - December 5th, 2025
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 6th, 2025
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.
Friday (In Order)
- A Bill to Improve Rural Healthcare
- A Bill to Ban Human Gene Editing
- A Bill to End Cobalt Imports
- A Bill to Prepare for the Robot Future
- A Bill to Abolish the TSA
- A Bill to Eliminate Test-Mandatory Colleges
- Puerto Rico Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Revitalization Act
- A Bill to Increase US Investment in Drone Technology and Production
- A Bill to Limit the Impact of Large Data Centers on Local Energy Prices and Resources
Saturday (In Order)
- A Bill to Enable Federal Negotiation of Prescription Drug Prices to Reduce Healthcare Costs
- A Bill to Build More Nuclear Energy
- A Bill to Save Social Security
- A Bill to Regulate the Sale of High Caffeine Energy Drinks
- A Bill to Eliminate Cash Bail
- A Bill to Ban the Capture of Wild Animals to Protect Wild Life
- The Asylum Fee Fairness Act
- A Bill to Improve Pedestrian Safety
- A Bill to End War
- A Resolution to Amend the Constitution to Ensure Fair Payment During Shutdowns
Rules: For the official rules and processes please see the MSHSL Website -https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/2025-2026-debate-rules-and-policies-official.pdf
Judges
| Amanda Soczynski |
| Arthur Harris |
| Bonnie Brynteson |
| Claire Sagstuen |
| Cody Dorumsgaard |
| Hayley Pierce Ramsdell |
| Julie Ritz- |
| Justin Bertram |
| Mark Thul |
| Matthew Kolstad |
| Mike Worcester |
| Patrick Champ |
| Renee Barthlowmew |
| Robert French |
| Tammy Trout McIntrye |
| Tom Lucas |
| Trevor Martinez |
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 22nd – Legislation is released
December 2nd – Add deadline
December 5th and 6th – 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.