Shortly after the Senate State Affairs Committee vacated it, top House and Senate GOP leaders began filtering into the small conference room next to Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill’s office, to hear House Speaker Scott Bedke’s petition for a conference committee.

Before the door closed, Hill said, “If we receive the request, we’ll probably go to caucus to see what the will of the caucus is. I suspect that we would accept that request.” He added, “If we receive a request tonight, we’ll probably act on it tonight.”

Both the House and Senate would need to name their appointees to the conference committee; then, the House chairman, from whose house the bill, HB 312a, originated, would name the place and time, and the Senate chairman would preside. Asked when a conference committee would be likely to convene, Bedke said, “I think if we get our act together, tomorrow afternoon. It won’t be tonight.”