Long hours as deadlines loom
January 26th, 2006
The extremely high volume of work during session – especially as we approach deadlines in the House calendar - results in Members spending long hours in close quarters with colleagues.
On Wednesday, committees met to consider bills until around 5:00pm. After that, the caucuses met to go over amendments, and then the House went into session - staying there until midnight.
Below is a picture of Members at their desks eating the box lunches that were ordered in so we would not have to break for dinner.
Some of the important bills that were amended on second reading were HB1001 (dealing with many different tax and assessment matters), HB 1010 (eminent domain), and HB1279 (telecommunications).
We also debated and voted on the committee report to HB1008 – the “Major Moves” road privatization bill. The committee report passed by a vote of 50-46, but that was only a preliminary vote. It now moves on to the second reading calendar where it is open to amendment.
The House Democratic caucus also presented an alternative plan to fund highway projects that would raise money without selling off our state assets to foreign investors.
The calendar for Thursday, January 26th is available here.
Entry Filed under: Statehouse
4 Comments Add your own
1. Doug | January 26th, 2006 at
It’s probably for the best that you guys went the boxed dinner route. I recall session days where the legislators broke for dinner and a few came back pretty drunk. We got some interesting bill requests those evenings, but that’s probably not the best way to consider legislation.
2. Ryan Dvorak | January 26th, 2006 at
Staying in for dinner does help with that problem, Doug. But some people can still get pretty slap-happy after fourteen straight hours in the Statehouse.
3. paula | January 28th, 2006 at
RE:HB1010 That nutty Jeff Thompson is my representative, and I use that term quite loosely. I have grown so very tired of being used as a “wedge” issue. What is the climate like as far as that amendment resurfacing, and which legislation is it most likely to get attached to? What are the odds that it will actually make it into law? Why can’t the legislature focus on what needs to be done instead of scoring political points by beating up on a 1-10% minority of the population?
4. Ryan Dvorak | January 29th, 2006 at
Paula,
Representative Thompson withdrew his amendment last week, and I don’t know if he is willing or able to offer it again.
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