Statutes, in their most basic form, are the written laws that govern our daily lives and operations. These laws are written by legislative bodies at the state and federal levels, and, in the United States, are the most fundamental source of law. In its Latin root, statute is derived from the meaning of “it is decided.” Thus, statutes reflect the decisions of law-making groups at various levels and may be based on long-standing customs or new groundbreaking changes. Although the legislatures of state or federal governments actually propose (as bills) and write statutes, the government's system of checks and balances allows the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to all have a hand in the development of the laws that govern everyday life. A bill sponsored ...