Crunch time at State House

Legislators have a slew of bills that need to be moved this week

By RODDIE BURRIS

rburris@thestate.com

Banning smoking in restaurants or stopping young drivers from using cell phones are the kinds of public policy matters that get people talking.

They make politicians want to talk, too. That could be a problem this week in the Legislature.

It’s crossover week at the State House. For lawmakers in each chamber, that means giving an extra push to get favored bills moving. After this week, moving bills will require a two-thirds vote on the part of the receiving chamber — two-thirds of senators must agree to accept a House bill, for example — making it legislative crunch time.

The signs are apparent.

“Everybody that has a bill in committee is trying to (get them out) because they know this is the last chance,” said Rep. Joe E. Brown, D-Richland, chairman of the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee.

On Thursday alone, at least 20 bills were called back to the House floor, Brown said, joining an already-crowded agenda of contested bills awaiting debate.

“There is so much out there that’s not going to make it,” Brown said. “We’ve got more on the table now than we’re going to get out.”

Some committee hearings will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, but the bulk of the House’s time through Thursday is expected to be spent moving bills on the floor.

The Senate’s calendar is even more crowded.

While the Senate turns its attention to the budget this week, it also will take up bills that face death due to the May 1 deadline, said president pro tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston.

The May 1 deadline also is important because it ends the two-year legislative life of bills introduced in January 2005 that have not been passed both chambers. Those bills will have to be re-introduced next year and begin the legislative journey anew to have a chance of becoming law.

“The calendar is crowded, time is short, and I’m not so sure but that time may claim the smoking bill,” said Rep. Walt McLeod, D-Newberry, who worked on that bill with sponsor Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland.

Rutherford said he expects the bill to be debated but is unsure of its outcome. McLeod said he also fears for the fate of a group of bills strengthening access to public information.

House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Harrison, R-Richland, shares that concern.

Of the remaining legislation that might miss the crossover deadline, “Freedom of Information reform is most on my mind,” said Harrison, whose committee is scheduled to consider that reform Tuesday.

Among other things, the reform would cut in half the time an agency has to respond to a request from 15 days down to seven.

Similarly, a proposal to ban teens from using cell phones while driving also has stalled, giving it little or no chance of passage.

Rep. Harry Cato, R-Greenville, said he is less concerned about specific legislation and crossover week than he is about both the House and Senate’s crowded calendars. The session ends on June 1.

“Theirs is jammed up, ours is jammed up,” he said of the Senate and House calendars. “I wonder are we going to be able to get to everything we need to.”

Reach Burris at (803) 771-8398.