Legislative glossary
Poison pill
Definition
An amendment designed to be unacceptable, intended to kill the bill by stripping votes from one side or the other.
Why it matters
A poison pill is sabotage dressed as participation. The amendment's sponsor doesn't want it adopted because it improves the bill. They want it adopted because it makes the bill unpassable, either by alienating the coalition holding it up or by attaching something the other chamber or the governor will never accept. Spotting one requires knowing your own coalition better than your opponents do.
In the game
The Bill to Law Game's amendment fights include poison pills crafted to look reasonable. Accept the wrong one and you'll watch your coalition walk. The game's debrief will name the moment it happened.
Related terms
Comes up alongside