At midnight, Wednesday night, the legislative session comes to an end. And with so little time remaining, a number of highly publicized bills have still not been fully acted on.
For example, electric filing for unemployment claims which would save taxpayers a million dollars a year, passed the House and is awaiting action in the Senate. The sick leave bill giving sick days to workers at small companies also cleared the House and is now in the Senate.
The Senate, meanwhile, has passed a bill that would call for a special election to fill the seat of a U.S. Senator who leaves office in mid-term. Currently, the Governor appoints a successor. And on her desk, awaiting her decisions, are bills that deal with health care, repeal of the death penalty, and a mandated agreement as to what the state's deficit may be at any given time.
Republicans are also calling for passage of a bill that would set up a Senate Ethics Committee that would handle complaints of legislative midconduct. They said Democrats won't bring it up. Democrats respond by saying the state has an Elections Enforcement Commission that would do the same thing as an ethics committee.
