Better than the 11 o'clock news, the Daily Show, and CSI reruns...
The 2005 legislative session ends tonight at midnight. Take a break from your normal routine, and listen to the drama online. Really, we’re serious. It’s interesting to listen to.
There are hundreds of bills in line to be voted on. To move things along, some controversial bills are held for last (so that a long debate doesn’t keep less controversial bills from passing). They’ll be going all day long and into the night. The drama increases around 11 pm, as some legislators scramble to get their bills passed and others begin throwing sand in the works to slow things down. As the hour approaches midnight some Senators are running the legislative equivalent of the "four corners offense" (for the non-sports fans, it means that they are stalling).
Keep this link open so you’ll know who is talking when the "distinguished Senator from the 22nd district" is speaking. Or go here if you’re listening to the House of Delegates.
It is fascinating to listen to, but there is serious work to be done today. Child advocates are anxious for child welfare and juvenile justice reforms to pass the Senate. Health advocates are hoping that the House passes a law that limits the Health Department's authority to change the Medicaid program without legislative approval.
Last year a House bill closing a tax avoidance loophole never made it out of a Senate committee. Among the reasons offered, it was a House bill and the Senate committee didn’t have time to study the issue. Well, it’s a year later, and the same House bill is sitting in the same Senate committee. How much time do they need? We wrote about this last year in our report "Corporate Tax Avoidance 101" (go to page 7). Or, play the matching game in question six of our Corporate Tax Avoidance quiz.
At midnight it will be over. We'll wake up in the morning and starting working toward next year. MBTPI
There are hundreds of bills in line to be voted on. To move things along, some controversial bills are held for last (so that a long debate doesn’t keep less controversial bills from passing). They’ll be going all day long and into the night. The drama increases around 11 pm, as some legislators scramble to get their bills passed and others begin throwing sand in the works to slow things down. As the hour approaches midnight some Senators are running the legislative equivalent of the "four corners offense" (for the non-sports fans, it means that they are stalling).
Keep this link open so you’ll know who is talking when the "distinguished Senator from the 22nd district" is speaking. Or go here if you’re listening to the House of Delegates.
It is fascinating to listen to, but there is serious work to be done today. Child advocates are anxious for child welfare and juvenile justice reforms to pass the Senate. Health advocates are hoping that the House passes a law that limits the Health Department's authority to change the Medicaid program without legislative approval.
Last year a House bill closing a tax avoidance loophole never made it out of a Senate committee. Among the reasons offered, it was a House bill and the Senate committee didn’t have time to study the issue. Well, it’s a year later, and the same House bill is sitting in the same Senate committee. How much time do they need? We wrote about this last year in our report "Corporate Tax Avoidance 101" (go to page 7). Or, play the matching game in question six of our Corporate Tax Avoidance quiz.
At midnight it will be over. We'll wake up in the morning and starting working toward next year. MBTPI
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