The 56th legislature’s first regular session is approaching its halfway point, typically marked by crossover week. During this time, Senate and House bills must make it through their assigned committees to remain “alive.” Marathon committees took place with bills receiving hearings but having mixed outcomes. The Appropriations committees took on several bills that remained intact and others that were put on the chopping block with strike-everything amendments. These types of amendments are last-ditch efforts to keep policy ideas alive if their original bills did not make it through committee.
As predicted, of the 1,625 bills that have been introduced, only half of them are truly in play for making it through the entire legislative process, but as many people down at the capitol say, “A bill is never truly dead until Sine Die.” The Legislature is on day 46 of the session and many people have prepared to be in session for weeks to come discussing policy issues and figuring out how to pass a budget. To view all the Chamber’s formal positions on bills, please click here.