You may notice that I frequently make reference to the legislative calendar.  This is because the Kansas Legislature works under a rather stringent time frame each year.  Once the Legislature convenes each January, it has 90 taxpayer-paid days to complete its work for the year.  Majority leadership controls the calendar and decides what bills are debated (or not debated).  Each day the Legislature meets over 90 days adds to the taxpayer bill. 

The halfway point of the session, known as “Turnaround,” is the day for non-exempt bills to be passed out of their house of origin.  We reached this deadline two weeks ago, so now House committees consider Senate bills and vice versa. “Drop Dead Day” is the legislative deadline by which all bills from either chamber must be passed out of their house of origin (Most bills not passed out of committee by this date is essentially “dead” for the year, although some bills are considered “nonexempt” and are alive until the end of the session).
 
The Legislature will conclude its regular session after all conference committee reports are approved or rejected.  This is referred to as “First Adjournment.”  From there, the Legislature recesses for approximately three weeks while all bills approved by both the House and Senate go to the governor for signature or veto.  At the end of April, the Legislature reconvenes for what is referred to as “Veto Session.”  This is an opportunity to finish work on the budget or other bills that had not been finalized prior to First Adjournment.  The length of Veto Session varies each year and can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.  After Veto Session, the Legislature will reconvene once more for a ceremonial adjournment of the session, called “Sine Die.”  Sine Die usually occurs near the end of the May, and marks the final meeting of the Legislature until 2010.

Hopefully, this will give you a better understanding of the Legislature’s remaining time schedule and restraints.  So far, the House has only recorded 98 final action votes.  After eight weeks in 2007, we had recorded 142 final action votes.  Though Veto Session and Sine Die offer opportunities to meet later in the spring, most of the Legislature’s work must be complete by the beginning of April, leaving only a few more weeks to pass meaningful legislation. 

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