Unexpectedly Short Night. Just about everyone was buckled in for a long night of conferencing, but the Senate came into the conference committee late this afternoon and laid down a large offer containing a lot of different policy provisions from both bills. The provisions were so voluminous, that the House conferees thought it best to send everyone home as they peruse the Senate offer throughout the evening and prepare a counter offer for tomorrow.

The conference committee is supposed to finish its work tomorrow in accordance with the joint rules adopted by the House and Senate earlier this session. As it looks right now, several of the larger conference committees will not meet the May 7 deadline. Whether this will require a suspension of the rules on the floor of both houses of the Legislature or a simple detour to the Rules Committee in both bodies to get clearance for final passage remains to be seen.