Still Bound by Session Timetable

There are only a few things the legislature must do each year, and one of them is to pass the budget. The legislature has not passed a budget yet this year, and will remain in session until it does. Rumors last week were that the session would end this week. It’s Monday and we are already looking towards next week.

We are still operating according to the Session Timetable. The second funnel deadline was last Friday and called for Senate bills to be reported out of House committees and House bills to be reported out of Senate committees. April 13 - 17 requires Senate consideration of only House bills and unfinished business, and House consideration of only Senate bills and unfinished business. It appears to be too late to amend the rules, but they may be suspended in order to speed up the process.

All bills besides the budget bill at this point are optional, and sometimes called the “pet projects” which have the support of various legislators or groups. These include the bills for Prevailing Wage, Ending Federal Deductibility, Collective Bargaining, Ending Right-to-Work, and Doctor Shopping.

As the lobby is well aware, no bill gets better the longer it sits around.