This week marked the final week for Senate and House bills to pass out of their original chambers and move over to the other chamber for further consideration.
Lawmakers spent long hours debating and voting on legislation as the clock wound down.
While many bills did not make it out of their respective chamber before the deadline, it is important to remember that it does not mean those bills are completely dead. There are still procedural tools available, including deadline extensions and the use of shell bills, which are existing legislation that can be amended to carry a proposal forward.
One bill that received considerable attention this spring that did not advance was the highly controversial House Bill 2827, which sought to create burdensome regulations for parents seeking to homeschool their children. Senator Fowler says that its failure to pass out of the House was welcomed news, but it is important for those opposed to the legislation to stay vigilant, as it could be revived later during the spring session.
As the General Assembly moves into the second half of the session, lawmakers will now begin considering bills from the opposite chamber, with May 9 being the deadline for House Bills to get out of committee within the Senate.