As we begin to work all day in session on the Legislative Floor, I want to share with you my plans with respect to adjournment times and scheduled late nights. In addition to the budget which is our constitutional responsibility to pass, we have a number of priority bills that have yet to be debated. To maximize our final 38 days of session, I am planning on a three-phase approach to our work schedule.

Beginning today, our adjournment time for most days will be around 6:00 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. The exact adjournment time will be contingent upon the bill and debate under consideration and any obvious stopping points. On the final day of the work week, we will be working through the lunch hour and adjourning for the weekend sometime between early to late afternoon. Again, the specific adjournment time will be dependent upon debate.

Beginning April 22nd, we will work “late nights” on Monday and Wednesday evenings for a couple of weeks. The other days in those two weeks, we will continue to work as late as 6:30 p.m.

The final push of the session will begin on May 7th. From that point forward, I will be reserving every day, other than the final day of the work week, as a late night.

Please reserve the following dates for “late nights” for the body to work during the evening hours beyond 6:30 p.m.:

Monday, April 22;
Wednesday, April 24;
Monday, April 29;
Wednesday, May 1;
Tuesday, May 7;
Wednesday, May 8;
Thursday, May 9;
Monday, May 13;
Tuesday, May 14;
Wednesday, May 15;
Monday, May 20;
Tuesday, May 21;
Wednesday, May 22;
Tuesday, May 28;
Wednesday, May 29;
Thursday, May 30; and
Monday, June 3.

The adjournment time for a scheduled “late night” will be around 8:30 p.m. or later (potentially as late as 11:59 p.m.).

Please note that I reserve the right to cancel a scheduled “late night.”  I will provide the body with as much notice as possible of such a cancellation. If the body makes progress on the day’s agenda prior to mid-afternoon, my intention will be to cancel that day’s scheduled “late night.”

January 14
• Convene at 10:00 a.m. and adjourn by noon or when introduced bills have been processed by the Clerk’s office

January 15
• Convene at 9:45 a.m.
• Governor’s State of the State Address – 10:00 a.m.
• Adjourn by noon or when introduced bills have been processed by the Clerk’s office

January 16
• Convene at 11:00 a.m. and adjourn by noon or when introduced bills have been processed by the Clerk’s office

January 17
• Convene at 9:45 a.m.
• Chief Justice Heavican’s State of the Judiciary Address-10:00 a.m.
• Adjourn by noon or when introduced bills have been processed by the Clerk’s office

January 18
• Convene at 9:00 a.m. and debate motion to adopt permanent rules
• Bill introduction
• May work through lunch hour dependent upon progress of rules debate
• (Tentative) Last day to submit bill requests to Revisor of Statutes/Bill Drafting Office

January 22
• Convene at 10:00 a.m. and adjourn by noon or when introduced bills have been processed by the Clerk’s office
• Public Hearings begin at 1:30 p.m.

January 23
• Convene at 10:00 a.m.
• Last day of bill introduction
• Adjourn by noon or when introduced bills have been processed by the Clerk’s office

January 24 and 25
• Convene at 11:30 a.m.
• Adjourn by noon

January 28
• Convene at 10:00 a.m. (first day of the work week)
• Begin debate of legislation
• Adjourn by noon

January 29
• Convene at 9:00 a.m. and adjourn by noon

February 25
• Speaker’s office will begin accepting senator and committee priority designations and requests for speaker priority designations

March 14, by 5:00 p.m.
• Deadline to submit a letter to the Speaker requesting designation of a bill as a 2013 speaker priority bill

March 15, Prior to Adjournment
• Deadline for designation of committee and senator priority bills

March 18
• Speaker priority bills announced prior to adjournment

March 21
• Tentative date to complete committee public hearings on introduced bills

Beginning January 28^th, we will begin the first day of the work week at 10:00 a.m., unless otherwise announced. The remaining days of the week we will convene session at 9:00 a.m.