Christine Palm

Phase 2: Public Hearings were held on each bill that survived screening by committee chairs. These hearings have concluded for the session. Heartfelt thanks to all of you who wrote testimony and/or appeared in person or via Zoom to let us know where you stand on various bills! The bills were then voted "out of committee" and sent on to the second screening process, this time by the Speaker of the House's team. They will further whittle down the bills that will, in a few weeks, be voted on by the full House and Senate.
 
Phase 3: We are about to enter this phase, in which bills that make it through the second (Speaker's office) screening process will proceed to the floor of the House or Senate (depending on which chamber introduced them). All the elected members of those chambers will then debate the bills on the floor. Bill introducers will "defend" the bills by answering questions from colleagues. Sometimes this process goes quickly; other times it can take hours for a single bill. Because here in Connecticut we hardly ever "call the question" (stop debate and require a vote) those opposed to a bill can filibuster it for hours, slowing down the process and causing many good bills to die. Again, because Sine Die is a hard-and-fast deadline, we cannot go into "overtime." 
 
Every bill that passes one chamber must then be voted on by the other chamber. If a bill is amended by the second chamber, it must go back to the original chamber to be re-voted on. Once a bill passes both chambers it's sent to the Governor for his signature. If the Governor vetoes a bill, it must go back to the House or Senate and be re-voted on. (You can see that getting a bill signed into law is a very complicated process!) 
 
HERE is an excellent article explaining where we are in this session.