Hello everyone,
It was a very short week at the Capitol. As planned, both the House and Senate were closed on Monday in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. However, what was not planned was both being closed on Tuesday due to the weather.
The session is starting slow which is typical. In fact, only one bill has been debated on the floor by either the House or the Senate. HB 1084 Repeal & Reenact Earned Income Tax Credit Increase has been fast-tracked to address a lawsuit that was filed challenging a bill passed during last fall’s special session. HB 1084 has passed the House and is scheduled to be debated on second reading in the Senate on Tuesday.
Most committees are wrapping up their SMART Act hearings this week. During SMART Act hearings each executive branch department presents specific information to its legislative committee of reference. The hearings are designed to allow the members of the oversight committee to better understand the responsibilities and areas of concern for each of the executive branch departments they oversee. The Department of Public Safety had its SMART Act Hearing before the Joint Judiciary Committee on January 10th.
So far, there have been 150 bills introduced – 90 in the House and 65 in the Senate. Only 107 more days until the General Assembly adjourns sine die.
Bill Skewes
Lobbyist