Budget bill will be routed through conference committee
Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch's spokesman says the budget repair bill will go through conference committee before hitting the legislative floor.
"I think that's the preferred route," said Huebsch spokesman John Murray. "Whatever agreement we draft is going to be codified by a conference committee and sent to the floor in an un-amendable draft."
The Legislature did not vote on a resolution to form a conference committee prior to adjournning on the last day of the general business floor period on March 13.
Jim Bender, spokesman for Assembly Majority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald, said there's precedent for appointing a conference committee through a skeletal session if the minority party gives unanimous consent, but it's most commonly done through a vote of the full body.
Murray said the makeup of the committee may be similar to last fall, when three majority and one minority member from each house worked on the 2007-09 budget, but he couldn't say definitively who the members will be.
Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker acknowledged last week that the bill could go through a conference committee. His spokeswoman Carrie Lynch said today they're not yet looking to that step.
"We're really focused on just trying to get the details (of the budget repair bill) worked out," she said.
Senate Chief Clerk Rob Marchant said if the Assembly appointed a conference committee, the Senate president would have the authority to appoint a committee.
Labels: Budget_Repair_Bill
