Interest groups, non-profit organizations, and state-level bureaucrats are all known to be important actors in state-level legislative politics. This chapter introduces the interaction by highlighting state legislation provided by various types of outsiders. I begin to address long-standing questions about who holds power in political institutions. This chapter motivates the state-level focus of the research. Variation across the states in levels of legislative staff and resources, institutions (e.g., term limits), and partisan configurations allows me to test theories about the relationship between resources, institutions, and the reliance on group products. Beyond this methodological reason, understanding the decisions made by state legislators and the set of statutory law which governs state citizens is essential to understanding democracy in the United States. The resulting state laws constrain the actions of state bureaucrats and cities, alter the incentives to businesses, and shape the carceral and educational outcomes for millions. My examinations into legislative drafting and the relative success of group bills have far-reaching implications for democratic representation: Whose preferences are reflected at the agenda setting stage and ultimately passed? The quality of democracy varies across the states, and my work studies the institutions that may improve democratic decision making.