Session Overview

The 2nd Session of the 47th Legislature convened on February 7, 2000. The Senate introduced 801 bills and 22 joint resolutions and the House introduced 882 bills and 33 joint resolutions for consideration during the 2nd Session. An additional 1,096 Senate and House bills and 45 Senate and House joint resolutions carried over from the first session and were available for action as well. The Legislature enrolled 459 bills and joint resolutions to the Governor for signature before adjourning sine die. The Governor vetoed 39 of these measures and vetoed 7 line items. Four measures were filed with the Secretary of State for referral to the voters.

During the 2nd Session, the Governor sent to the Senate 204 Executive Nominations to various state boards and commissions. The Senate confirmed 187 of these Executive Nominations.

The 2nd Session saw early action on pay increases for teachers and state employees with passage of HB 2653 and SB 959. An impasse between the House and Senate over higher education funding and health care funding delayed final action on other budget and substantive measures until the final week of session. Deliberations over the use of Tobacco Settlement Funds, a proposed reduction in car tag fees and taxes, and approval of capital improvement projects further complicated budget negotiations.

The Legislature enacted car tag and tax reform with enactment of HB 2663, which met the same fate as last year's bill--a veto by the governor. Other issues that received considerable attention this session include rewriting last session's common education reform legislation and modifying the Tuition Scholarship Program (HB 2728), replacement of the workers' compensation court system with an administrative system (SB 1606), right to work (SJR 35), nursing home care reform (HB 2019), the right to sue HMOs for denial of medical treatment (SB 1206), and electric deregulation (SB 220). Legislation enacted to address these and other substantive issues is summarized in this document.