“We’re on track, we’ll get this shut down by 10:45.” That was the message to me from a veteran lawmaker Monday night as we raced toward the 1 a.m. constitutionally-mandated deadline for the end of the session. The deals had been worked out, the bills primed for final voting, and everything was supposed to roll out smoothly, back and forth between the Senate and Assembly, following a road map that would lead us to the first conclusion of a session without going into a special session since 1999.
Soon after the 10:30 assessment that we were in the home stretch, things started to slow down inexplicably. “We’re waiting on the Senate,” would be voiced from the rostrum again and again by Speaker of the Assembly Barbara Buckley. Sitting at our desks, we’d be called into action by the slam of the gavel for minutes-long frenetic efforts, concurring on amendments, voting on bills, and then the action would stop. “One minute recess,” was the refrain, a reprieve that sometimes means 37 seconds, other times means fifteen minutes or more. While we waited impatiently in the chambers, leadership would walk down the hall to learn what the latest hold-up was.
In the closing minutes, the education bills we were waiting for finally appeared from the Senate- but it was too late. The Legislature missed the 1 a.m. deadline for concluding its business, and the high hopes we had for finishing on time we replaced by the anxiety of knowing a special session was likely, but when we would meet and what we would consider would be up to the Governor.
At 2 a.m., we were instructed to stay close by in expectation we could go into a session by 3 a.m. Walking out of the building for some fresh air with Assemblyman Tick Segerblom, we received a phone call telling us to be back in the building by 9 a.m. 9 soon turned to 2, and after grabbing some much needed shut eye, I was back in the building for a 5 p.m. start of a special session to finish our remaining business.
Despite the focus on the brief special session we had on Tuesday, the close of the 2007 legislative session was relatively tame compared to previous years, and shouldn’t overshadow the tremendous progress we made for the state of Nevada. We grappled with transportation funding, education, health care, renewable energy, water and many other important issues facing our states. While there’s still plenty more progress needed on all these fronts, we did make progress and for that, I’m proud to have represented district 24 in the 74th session of the Nevada Legislature.
Watch this blog for a wrap up of legislative achievements. Coming soon…
