State Legislature Committees didn’t meet again last week as both chambers focused on floor action. Floor action in the House ground to a halt last Tuesday afternoon when the House Republican caucus decided that no bills sponsored by Democrats will be brought to the floor unless a majority of Republicans express support for the bill, essentially requiring a super-majority for any bill sponsored by a Democrat.
In response, the House Democratic caucus began voting NO on every bill brought to the floor, which would stop any bill not supported by every single Republican (and with no absences). The House continued with Committees of the Whole, but it is still unclear how many bills may move to a full floor vote if the Democratic caucus continues to withhold their support for all bills until the process changes.
The Senate cleared quite a few bills this week and sent them over to the House to begin the process all over again before the next deadline of March 24 when bills must be heard in committee in their opposite chamber.
Here our 2023 Legislative Session Working Powerpoint. I’ll update this ppt each week to keep it accurate – a particularly challenging task when the Strike All Amendment gets in full swing. You can also follow public health related bills on this Excel File tracker.