| Rep Scott McEachin and others are describing this special session as being vastly different from the last one. And this may be the most unified process, at least with the House voting unanimously in the JCAB to advance a pair of funding bills to give the Healthcare Authority and Department of Human Services the needed funds to get by until April without any cuts in services or reimbursement rates. No new revenue measures are on the calendar, or even filed with the House Clerk. What will be interesting will be the final day. According to constitutional mandates, the legislature has to gavel in & out at least 5 days to read the bills and the executive call to session before the bills can be passed out of a chamber. So on Friday there will likely be a unanimous passage of the 2 appropriations bills and perhaps the leadership will personally walk the document directly into the Governor's office and not leave until her signature is certified. Only when the legislature is satisfied by witnessing a governor's signature, will they return to their chamber and entertain a motion to end the 2nd Special Session. That is because the governor has devastated any residual trust the legislature used to have in her word of honor. |  |
 | This is because she broke faith at the end of last session and vetoed most of the omnibus bill which she had previously committed to sign. Those few allies she has in the House & Senate who egged on her veto are also facing some blame for advising & encouraging the bad faith actions. A Festivus Moment.. Some of the more intriguing developments happen when daily floor sessions prepare to gavel out for the day. They ask for and entertain announcements for committees, caucuses, and other events. Collin Walke is one freshman Democrat in the House who asked all freshmen of the chamber to a bipartisan caucus immediately after the daily adjournment. That's when 6th term Democrat, Eric Proctor, announced & entered into the House Record that; "the Festivus Annual Airing of Grievances is meeting in 5 minutes". It could be that Colin & Eric were referring to the same meeting? We hope to hear a report of how it went. |
