This message is from Ellen Pinnes and The Disability Coalition. 

The Legislature almost met its self-imposed deadline to pass legislation on behavioral health and crime by the thirtieth day of the session, passing two of the bills in the Senate behavioral health package (and folding appropriations contained in the third bill into HB 2, the state budget bill) and HB 8, which combines six crime-related bills into a single package.  Those bills are now on the way to the governor for her to sign or veto.  But work in both areas continues, with additional appropriations for behavioral health expected to be added to HB 2 in the Senate and general agreement that HB 8 doesn’t adequately address issues relating to crime and that additional measures will continue to be considered. 

The halfway point of the session was also the deadline to introduce bills, and there was the usual flurry of activity as legislators hurried to get their bills in under the wire.  The total number introduced is now 1,182, although dozens are “generic” (or “dummy”) bills.  Those are blank bills that can be used for measures that didn’t make it by the deadline, but most of them likely won’t move forward at all.  That still leaves hundreds of items to keep legislators busy. 

The Disability Coalition’s Legislative Report #5 is attached to bring you up to date.