Legislative regular session through Jun. 25, 2011

Our wallets appear safe with the Legislature out of session. Now it’s just a matter of gubernatorial decisions.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 31 was signed by the governor; HB 238 passed Senate committee, passed the Senate, and was sent to the governor; HB 332 with minor amendment passed the Senate, was concurred in by the House, and was sent to the governor; HB 377 passed Senate committee, passed the Senate, and was sent to the governor; HB 384 passed Senate committee, passed the Senate, and was sent to the governor; HB 415 was signed by the governor; HB 416 with minor amendment passed the Senate, was concurred in by the House, and sent to the governor; HB 435 passed the Senate and was sent to the governor; HB 509 with minor amendment passed Senate committee, passed the Senate, was concurred in by the House, and sent to the governor; HB 526 passed the Senate and was sent to the governor; HB 537 with minor amendment was called from Senate committee, passed the Senate, was concurred in by the House, and was sent to the governor; HB 549 with minor amendment passed the Senate, was rejected by the House, went to conference, had conference report adopted by the House, had conference report adopted by the Senate, and was sent to the governor; HB 589 was sent to the governor; HB 636 was concurred in by the House and sent to the governor; HB 646 with minor amendment passed Senate committee, passed the Senate, was concurred in by the House, and sent to the governor; SB 113 failed to pass the House; SB 266 with minor amendment passed the House, was concurred in by the Senate, and was sent to the governor; SB 269 with minor amendment passed the House, was rejected by the Senate, went to conference, had conference report adopted by the House, had conference report adopted by the Senate, and was sent to the governor.

Legislative regular session through Jun. 18, 2011

Yes, I know the status of SB 259 can be confusing. With every stop it gyrates between being a good or bad bill, and even in between. For now, it remains good.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 7 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; HB 31 passed the Senate and was sent to the governor; HB 55 was signed by the governor; HB 203 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 332 passed Senate committee; HB 384 passed House committee and passed the House; HB 415 passed the Senate and was sent to the governor; HB 416 with major amendment passed Senate committee; HB 435 passed Senate committee; HB 509 passed Senate committee; HB 526 passed Senate committee; HB 549 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; HB 589 passed Senate committee and passed the Senate; HB 636 with major amendment passed the Senate; HB 642 passed Senate committee; SB 13 passed the House and was sent to the governor; SB 66 with major amendment passed the House, had Senate reject amendment, and went to conference; SB 76 passed the House; SB 113 passed House committee; SB 114 with minor amendment passed House committee; SB 259 with major amendment passed House committee; SB 266 with minor amendment passed House committee; SB 269 passed House committee.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 15 with minor amendment passed House committee, passed the House; HB 313 passed Senate committee; SB 6 passed the Senate and was sent to the governor; SB 69 passed House committee; SB 171 with minor amendment passed House committee.

Committee action, Jun. 13: SB 53, SB 69, SB 113, SB 131

DID YOU KNOW?

SB 53 by Sen. John Alario would amend the Constitution to cap the amount of money in the Millennium Trust Fund and use some of the money over that amount of $1.38 billion to fund the Taylor Opportunity Program for Scholars, increasing the amount from the MTF that goes to TOPS.

The House Appropriations Committee was told the diversion of the payments, at a 2.5 percent interest rate, would cost around $1.5 billion from money diverted from funding other items through the MTF, but they would generate $3.9 billion in terms of savings from the general fund to fund TOPS and in the elimination of the annuity payments associated with the fund (from the sales of tobacco settlement proceeds). When federal matching funds are involved theoretically over 40 years, the loss is $3 billion but the gain is (depending on where it was spent) as much as $12.3 billion.

After approval of technical amendments, Rep. Pat Smith, after basically to have it all explained to her again, asked about whether TOPS was retaining students. She was told statistics show TOPS did increase retention rates, but she said it also concerned her as to what happened afterwards, so that the bill was more keeping students in college, not in the state. Smith insisted the bill did not address presumed “high-ability” students who did not qualify for TOPS.

Legislative regular session through Jun. 11, 2011

While from time to time in the legislative process a good bill gets its salutary features neutered, or a bad bill becomes benign, for the first time in seven years a bill actually has gone straight from one category to another. HB 306 with substantial changes has gone from unworkable and detrimental to desirable.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 31 passed Senate committee; HB 55 passed the Senate; HB 175 became HB 646 by substitute; HB 306 with major amendment passed committee, with minor amendment passed the House; HB 332 passed the House; HB 377 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 415 passed Senate committee; HB 416 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 435 passed House committee, passed the House; HB 530 with major amendment passed the House; HB 537 passed Senate committee; HB 545 was involuntarily deferred by House committee; HB 646 with minor amendment passed the House; SB 13 passed House committee; SB 66 with major amendment passed House committee; SB 76 with minor amendment passed House committee; SB 259 with major amendment passed the Senate; SB 266 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 269 passed the Senate.

Legislative regular session through Jun. 4, 2011

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 55 passed Senate committee; HB 175 passed House committee; HB 411 passed House committee;  HB 448 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 589 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 636 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 108 passed the Senate; SB 259 with minor amendments passed Senate committee.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: SB 6 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 171 with minor amendment passed the Senate.

SCORECARD