Happs at the Cap

May 13, 2005

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( Phoenix, AZ ) Happs at the Cap is a weekly inside look at, well, happenings at the state capitol.

It's all over. And there was a certain symmetry to it all. As the motion was made to adjourn sine die, the clock at the bottom of my computer read 1:23 AM. It was the 123rd day of the session. And on the session's last day, Democrats and Republicans again were bickering, as they did for many of the 122 previous days.

I know journalists throw around that phrase, sine die, quite a bit. And I know that many people probably have absolutely no idea what we're talking about when we do. I know this because until recently, I counted myself among this group. The phrase is Latin, somewhat loosely for “without a day,” and refers to the fact that the legislature now doesn't have a specific day to come back into session. But, that could soon change.

It was dark outside when many Republican lawmakers got their first look at the last major issue they had to handle before adjourning: satisfying a court order to put more money into English immersion programs. Leaders had held up sending the budget to the governor until they finished this bill because she had said it was part of the budget. She had also told Republican leaders to make sure to include Democrats in the talks; it was one of the conditions of the budget agreement of earlier this month. Apparently, talks between the parties broke down Thursday afternoon, and Republican leaders decided to go with their own plan. That leaves the questions of what the governor's going to do with it, what she'll do with the rest of the budget package, and what happens as a result. So, lawmakers may be back to the capitol before next January.

As of this writing, Governor Napolitano has signed 284 bills into law; she's vetoed 48 bills, a new record. And, many lawmakers don't think her veto stamp will be collecting dust now that the session is over. The legislature sent her several bills over the last few days of the session, including some controversial immigration bills. Maybe it's not so over, after-all.

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