Crossover week is behind us. Bills still waiting for a vote in their chamber of origin will be voted on Monday. By mid-week legislators will turn their attention to bills that crossed over and committee meetings ramp up again. The senate will see house bills and the house gets to see the bills that made it out of the senate.
Fifty-six items will be discussed and voted on Monday in the Senate Committee Of the Whole (COW). The purpose of the COW floor session is to allow members to ask questions or bring up concerns in the form of a comment. A voice vote is taken. After a piece of legislation passes COW it goes to a Third Read calendar where the “real” vote is taken. Forty-nine bills are in Monday’s COW, some good, some bad, some ugly – same ole same ole. The danger lies in the seven resolutions to be voted. Three of the seven were retained last week when they were scheduled for COW and have been rescheduled for this week. That usually indicates one or more republicans might have voted NO, so the vote was not taken, giving time to twist arms. Sen Kavanagh’s biological sex resolution is one of the three making a second appearance. If they pass both COW and Third Read they will cross to the House and join senate resolutions already assigned to house committees after they crossed over last week.
The House of Representatives put forth an onslaught of resolutions this session. Many were mirror bills to those being advanced in the senate. Many were repeats of bills vetoed last session and they are making their return appearance as a resolution to bypass the governor.
To date, although this could easily change, only two resolutions have crossed to the senate from originating in the house and four more will be voted on Monday. Rules can be suspended and bills or resolutions, thought dead, can suddenly be called for a vote.
After Monday’s floor sessions in both chambers the majority of resolutions threatening to lengthen the November ballot should be decided.
There were other resolutions sponsored this session taking the form of a proclamation or statement. These are not of real concern as they do not go on the ballot. Sometimes they honor a person, recognize a death or make a statement on a policy without changing anything. They can also make Arizona look rather foolish on occasion.
A more comprehensive look at how LD3’s legislators fared with their bills can be given after this week is over.
Senator Kavanagh still has bills alive and trying to make it out of the senate. His SCR1013 on biological sex is most concerning. Link to fact sheet.
If you use the RTS system, and you should, there are many bills to RTS later this week. Link to The Weekly.
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