Wow!  End of day three!!!  Energy level up in the morning…ready for bed at 6:30 p.m.

I remember when I started in the legislature almost six years ago, Rep. Lockhart described the legislative session  “like drinking from a fire hose!”  She was right.  The day starts at 6 a.m. on the I-15, 45 minutes to the Capitol on a good day.  First meeting at 7 a.m., Committees at 8 a.m., Floor time at 10 a.m.  Lunch meetings (or getting caught up on emails).  Committees from 2-5 p.m.  One hour on the freeway home (if there aren’t any evening meetings/events).   Read bills for the next day most of the evening…spend time with kids…maybe…blog.

Most of the bills considered on the Floor Calendar for the first few days are legislation passed out of Interim Committees.  This legislation has passed out of committee with a “favorable recommendation” and usually zippidy-doo-dahs through the floor debate…but not always.  Interim Committees are composed of both House and Senate members; therefore, the endorsement of an Interim Committee has ”validated” the bill bi-camerally.  Sometimes, bills take on a different life during the period between the end of the Interim season and the first day of the legislative general session.  Amendments may be introduced and additional debate is appropriate.

You can follow the action of Floor debate for the House and the Senate at www.le.utah.gov