Last Week

The Budget/Conference Committee

Met several times during the week adopting the sections of the budget as agreement was reached  - these included numerous issues such as Medicaid, public education, and transportation appropriations. As of Friday, the Conference Committee is close to being complete with its work.

The House

The House kept to its normal calendar schedule until Friday morning. The House began a Local & Consent Calendar on Friday and instead of proceeding in the usual manner on these non-controversial bills members began asking questions on each bill as a way of slowing down the process. The result was the House spent all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (meeting late into the night day) to complete a Local Calendar, which would normally take 2 to 3 hours to finish. Democrats have made no secret of the fact that this use of the rules was a way to avoid taking up the Voter I.D. legislation.

The Senate

The Senate moved at slower but deliberate pace for most of the week. One key bill that was heard and passed was HB 2480 by Hochberg. This is the bill that would allow public school districts to contract with a community college for dual credit courses regardless of service areas. The bill was amended to include language that would require that a school district could only enter into such an agreement if the community college, in whose service area the school district is located, is unable to provide the requested course.

Senate Finance

HB 2083 by Solomons (the proportionality bill) remains pended in the Committee. On Friday, the Committee voted out HB 4586 by Pitts (the supplemental appropriations bill) and sent it on to the full Senate. Contained in the bill is the re-appropriation of the vetoed $154 million health insurance funds. This will move the dollars back into the community college formula to make up for the paying forward of the formula for the vetoed funds.

The Week Ahead

Conference Committee on the Budget

Chairman Ogden & Chairman Pitts have indicated that the Conference Committee will vote out the budget on Tuesday and then send the Conference Committee Report back to each Chamber for approval.

House

Tuesday is an important day since midnight is the deadline for the House to take-up Senate bills on the General Calendar. On Wednesday, the House will hear the last Senate bills on a Local & Consent Calendar. After these deadlines the House will only be able to deal with Conference Committee Reports. Among the bills that appear to be too far behind in the process to advance is SB 1164 by Wentworth, which is the concealed handguns on campuses.

Senate

The Senate will continue to hear House bills and work to either pass these bills or amend them and send them back to the House.

Sine Die – Last day of session is in one week on Monday June 1^st.  The Governor will then have until Sunday, June 21^st to either veto or sign bills.