05/07/2025 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 34                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the duration of a regular session                                                                      
     of the legislature."                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:07:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR CATHY GIESSEL,  SPONSOR, introduced the legislation.                                                                    
She believed  that the bill  would help voter  confidence in                                                                    
the work that was done  in the legislature. She relayed that                                                                    
the bill would repeal the  90-day session statute, which had                                                                    
been  passed  in  2006  after   a  citizen  initiative.  The                                                                    
initiative  was  intended   to  streamline  the  legislative                                                                    
process and encourage legislators to  get the work done. She                                                                    
addressed  a  chart  that  quantified   how  many  days  the                                                                    
legislature had  been in session  (copy on file).  She noted                                                                    
that the  bill became  effective in 2008.  She made  note of                                                                    
special sessions  and session lengths. She  pointed out that                                                                    
there had only been two  90-day sessions since that time, in                                                                    
2010 and 2013.  In 2020 there was a session  of only 69 days                                                                    
due to the  Covid-19 pandemic. The following  year there had                                                                    
been a legislative  session of 217 days  in total, including                                                                    
three special sessions. She  believed the 90-day requirement                                                                    
undermined voter confidence.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Giessel drew  attention to  a document  that listed                                                                    
the price of  oil (copy on file). She  contemplated that the                                                                    
legislature  went  over  90  days  of  session  due  to  the                                                                    
complicated  issues it  had to  deal  with. She  highlighted                                                                    
2006 when the initiative passed  and noted that the price of                                                                    
oil in 2008 was $204/bbl and  was the highest price to date.                                                                    
The same year  the initiative was also  implemented, and the                                                                    
legislature went  for 150 days, including  special sessions.                                                                    
She mentioned  policy issues. She  highlighted that  the oil                                                                    
price  had  plummeted to  $63/bbl  the  following year.  She                                                                    
remarked on the  oil price volatility shown  on the document                                                                    
and  noted  the complexities  the  legislature  had to  deal                                                                    
with. She  thought that Co-Chair Hoffman  had commented that                                                                    
the fiscal situation  was the worst he ever  recalled in his                                                                    
many years in the legislature.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman   clarified  that  he  had   been  in  the                                                                    
legislature for 39 years.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Giessel  emphasized  that the  90-day  session  was                                                                    
well-intentioned but  was unrealistic.  She pondered  that a                                                                    
repeal would assuage public  frustration. She mentioned that                                                                    
there was a sectional analysis for member to consider.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  thought the  bill was  straightforward and                                                                    
relayed that  the committee would forego  consideration of a                                                                    
sectional analysis.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:11:53 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman  recalled that  the creation of  the 90-day                                                                    
session had been  driven by two members  of the legislature,                                                                    
neither  of  which  were  in  leadership.  He  thought  both                                                                    
members  had  wanted  to  return  home  for  other  business                                                                    
dealings.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:12:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman reported  that he had been  to more special                                                                    
sessions than regular sessions.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:12:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman OPENED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Kiehl  reviewed  the  fiscal  note.  The  note  was                                                                    
prepared  by the  Legislative Affairs  Agency. There  was no                                                                    
cost  to the  note,  and he  affirmed  that the  legislature                                                                    
always had a 120-day session in its budget.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:13:17 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:13:40 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SB  34  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.