April 12, 2019


Several major developments are expected next week as the legislature moves toward adjournment sometime in early May. The Governor plans to present his supplemental budget amendment to the finance committees next week. His original proposed budget, offered the first week of March, will be updated with this amendment to reflect new revenue projections and the impact on the state budget of legislation passing this year. The goal is for the General Assembly to pass the budget by the last week of April. This would set things up for an adjournment the start of May. In fact, House Majority Leader William Lamberth announced May 1 as the target date on the floor of the House in session yesterday. 

 

To help achieve that goal, the House is expected to adopt something called the "flow motion" on Monday. This is a procedural move that suspends several of the House rules, particularly those related to notice and time requirements before a bill can move through different steps at the legislature. In some cases, if the legislature is close to passing a budget, they will stay over extra days that week to make sure an agreement holds together and they push the budget across the finish line. If they stick with a goal to pass the budget the fourth week of April, that won't be an option as Nashville is expected to be inundated with NFL fans arriving for the 2019 draft that starts Thursday of that week. Also that weekend is the Music City Marathon and there is a possibility of a Stanley Cup playoff game. In other words, don't plan to drive through Nashville that weekend if you don't have to!

 

Click here for a bill report for 4/12/2019.