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First, a caveat - numerous bills still remain alive and are included in either the Senate or the House budget proposals. Because of this, these bills are deemed “necessary to implement the budget” (NTIB) so remain ‘alive’ until the eventual end of session (whenever that will occur). In addition, any bills still in House Appropriations or Senate Ways and Means have until the April 7 deadline to advance.
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The deadline is fast approaching for bills to be heard and then voted out of committee. They are then passed to their respective Rules Committee for placement on their chamber’s floor calendar for a possible vote. Some bills are being heard and voted out of committees, others are not yet scheduled for a hearing, and others are being held as potential bargaining chips for use near the end of the session (April 26). As the end nears, the question becomes, “What are the critical, ‘must have’ bills that each House insists on having?“
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The two main issues of importance this week are the continuing need by districts to increase the pool of substitutes available and the re-emergence of two fairly draconian pension reform bills.
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There are two “W’s” that come into play now that the first major deadline has passed. “Whew!” is the first one. Bills that have failed to clear their house of origin are ‘dead’. Some good bills didn’t make it; some bad ones didn’t either. “What the ?” is the next one, as a reaction when any of these bills come back ‘alive’, either because they are deemed necessary to implement the budget, or just because legislators desire it.
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Bills are clearly on the move through both chambers as they race to meet the March 11 deadline where bills need to clear their chamber of origin.
