Well the Senate Judiciary Committee voted out H. 470 by a vote of 5-0. It’s headed for a quick review by Senate Finance because of the increase in some probate fees. That committee has already approved those fees in the miscellaneous tax bill. The Senate will be in session on Monday when the bill will appear on the Notice Calendar. In theory, it should be up for second reading on Tuesday and third reading on Wednesday, after which it will return to the House for concurrence or for a committee of conference. This schedule may change, moving the bill more quickly than this. It tracks the discussions I’ve been relating in my posts this week. There will be some floor amendments offered, some unfavorable to unification and perhaps one with some technical corrections as legislative counsel pours over the bill and checks citations to statutory sections and the repealers.
Certainly the Senate took a different approach than the House but, if you trust Joint Fiscal’s number, they came closer to the target $1 million in savings. The real problem carries forward to FY12. Both bills leave nearly a $300,000 hole to be filled in that year. BTW, this bill should eliminate the need for the three ½ day closings per month in the courts. However, the one day a month furloughs will continue into FY11. I expect the bill will go into conference and am sensing lots of support for the Senate approach. We’ll see how it all works out.
On H. 689 (UCIOA) the House yesterday concurred with the Senate’s roll out of the effective date until January 1, 2012. On H. 590 we’re still waiting for the Senate to appoint its conferees to work out the differences with the House. But I am going ahead with the CLE for June 7 and 8 as if the bill has been signed into law.
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