The Senate is at ease, while Senate leaders from both parties huddle with Senate Secretary Jennifer Novak on the complex dance that’s ahead of them, as they suspend rules, move between various orders, and pick up late bills due to arrive from the House, including HB 343, the so-called “drop-dead bill” affirming administrative rules for the session, and HCR 36, the measure reauthorizing the LINE Commission. Both of those will require the Senate State Affairs Committee to go through the “buck slip” process, in which every committee member signs off to allow the bill to proceed directly to the floor, rather than first go through a committee hearing.

Davis warned senators from the outset this morning that this was coming. “We’re at that stage of the session where we need to start and stop a few times,” he said.

He also advised the Senate that once it’s dealt with SB 1199, the education bill, and also suspended rules to consider HB 343, HCR 36, and SB 1134a, all coming from the House, “It’s our intent to adjourn for the day and allow the joint committee to go to work.” That would be the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, which still needs to approve a new public school budget bill.