Legislative regular session scores, 2017

With all business disposed of relative to the 2017 Regular Session, legislators and the governor can receive grades (barring a miraculous veto override session). Twelve bills were selected and weighed for computation, all but two having been voted upon in both chambers. These were chosen from the watch list compiled throughout the session. For a bill’s vote(s) to be selected, in one chamber there had to be more than one legislator not voting for the winning or losing side.

Being that passage of bills depends upon the seated membership of a body, not voting is counted as a negative vote. However, if a legislator had a leave of absence granted for that day, his absent votes weren’t counted for bills voted on that day and the score adjusted to take that into account.

Here are the bills with votes for final passage in every case on which the scorecard was computed, with the conservative/reform position and the weighing indicated:

Legislative regular session through Jul. 1, 2017

The dust has cleared with the final disposition of bills by the governor. Next week’s last edition will reveal the scorecard for him and lawmakers.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: SB 67 was signed by the governor; SB 98 was signed by the governor; SB 100 was signed by the governor.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: SB 25 was signed by the governor; SB 79 was signed by the governor.

Legislative regular session through Jun. 24, 2017

The governor keeps on signing bills, with his period to act ending in a few days.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 113 was signed by the governor; HB 556 was signed by the governor; SB 111 was signed by the governor; SB 243 was signed by the governor.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 454 was signed by the governor; HB 681 was signed by the governor; SB 83 was signed by the governor; SB 106 was signed by the governor; SB 254 was signed by the governor.

Legislative regular session through Jun. 17, 2017

It’s all over but the signing and vetoing of legislation.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 82 was signed by the governor; HB 556 was signed by the governor; SB 111 was signed by the governor.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 544 was signed the governor; SB 139 was signed by the governor.

Legislative regular session through Jun. 10, 2017

Ordinarily, we could breathe easily at the adjournment of a regular session. Unfortunately, a special session has sent the regular session into overtime. However, as it only pertains to budgetary matters, this blog will not cover it. Meanwhile, the aftermath of the regular session continues with the governor making choices on how to handle bills and potentially the Legislature deciding to have an override session.

At the eleventh hour, amendments to HB 249 made this a benign bill.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 82 was sent to the governor; HB 113 passed the Senate and was sent to the governor; HB 566 was sent to the governor; SB 67 passed the House, was concurred in, and was sent to the governor; SB 98 passed the House, was concurred in, and was sent to the governor; SB 100 passed the House, was concurred in, and was sent to the governor; SB 243 was passed by the House and sent to the governor.