NWAOnline’s Legislative Coverage

We’re in the last three weeks of the session, which looks on target to end April 10. Cautious lawmakers are getting their bills through the process to make sure they aren’t caught short if the session ends April 3, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Most of the big bills for Northwest Arkansas are through the process, one way or the other. The medical school expansion into Fayetteville is done. The attempt to change the streamlined sales was tried but failed.

Now comes the balancing of the state checkbook: Budget bills and revenue stabilization. The governor’s well-known expertise in Arkansas’ unusual balanced budget process means there will be few surprises there.

The big job for the next three weeks is to make sure that bad bills don’t slip through. I’ll keep watch but can use all the help I can get. If anybody out there spots a bad bill, drop me a line.