Recent Articles from Julia Shumway and Katie Campbell
Democrats discouraged despite getting more bills passed
Senate President Karen Fann can boast a 333 percent increase in the number of bills sponsored by Democrats that passed out of her chamber in 2019 compared to last year.
Committee chairs seek balance between gatekeeper and ‘God’
The first major hurdle every piece of legislation faces in the House or Senate is a committee leader with the ability to unilaterally kill bills, and some chairs are more willing to do it than others.
Talk of bipartisan budget turns to bitter words at session’s end
A session that began with lofty promises — at least in the Senate — of bipartisan collaboration, the likes of which had rarely been seen before, ended with Democrats united against the budget and decrying a lack of working across the aisle.
Legislature to start work on budget
House and Senate Republicans plan to introduce their budget bills Monday, Senate President Karen Fann and House Speaker Rusty Bowers said.