For advocates and lobbyists, this week is legislative halftime.
The legislative session hit its midpoint with the first chamber work session deadline Tuesday, April 4. Policy committees have concluded their work on first chamber bills, initiatives generated by their own chamber members. Bills that haven’t moved already are unlikely to move again this session.
Procedurally, policy committees will now mostly be looking at the other side’s work.
It’s all part of the parliamentary process. Committees must vote bills out. Bills that have majority committee support receive a “do pass” recommendation and are sent to a chamber floor for a vote. A bill that needs more work can also move “without recommendation.”
Those bills do not go to the floor, instead usually going to a nonpolicy committee not bound by deadlines. Both chambers’ rules and revenue committees and any joint committees can hold bills indefinitely while details are worked out.
Once bills leave a first chamber committee they go for a floor vote in the chamber they started in. As of Friday, April 7, the Senate had 61 bills and the House had 35 up for a “third reading,” meaning a final vote. In the Senate, where the full text of bills is being read aloud due to procedural requirements, this means dozens of hours of floor session. The floor session is so backed up that there will be no committees in either chamber Monday, April 10, or Tuesday, April 11. Instead, legislators will be on the floor, voting on bills, possibly until late into the evening.
Some education bills have made it through, though, including SB 285 (school facilities grants updates), SB 767 (charter sponsor updates), SB 819A (abbreviated days programs), HB 2240 (school employee medical translation updates), SB 2753 (school board member permissive stipends) and HB 3584 (school district threat and lockdown notification requirements).
For advocates and school board members, it’s time to take a breather and examine tactics. We’ve seen what worked and didn’t work in one chamber so now we can adjust our plays before bills again face legislators’ scrutiny.
The first half was one of the busiest in recent memory. We can be more targeted in the second half now that the number of viable bills has been whittled down. We still have OSBA bills to advance, and now we have more time to help shape policy proposals from legislators and the governor. A good May revenue forecast could also alter some discussions, especially around the State School Fund.
There are plenty of scoring opportunities (as well as some need for stout defenses) in the second half.
– Richard Donovan
Legislative Services specialist
