Senator Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) proposed adding a new legislative deadline for House and Senate leaders to help the legislature get their work done on time in budget-setting sessions. Senator Nelson would add a fourth deadline for leaders to deliver budget targets to the finance conference committees at the end of the session.

“No one benefits when the leaders put together huge spending bills in the final days of the session behind closed doors,” said Senator Nelson. “Adding this deadline would put pressure on the leadership and governor to set the budget targets in time for the full legislature, and more importantly, the public to thoroughly review what is in these bills.”

Currently, section 2.03 of the Joint Rules of the Senate and House calls on leadership to agree to three committee deadlines to move bills through the process. The new deadline for conference committees would be set with enough time for members and staff to process the spending and tax bills before the constitutional deadline in May.

“Our adjournment date was predetermined when our constitution was signed. It did not sneak up on us. Yet every two years, we find ourselves in the same predicament. Conference committee target deadlines are needed reform,” added Senator Nelson.