A final reading on the floor of the House and Senate should take place next week. There will not likely be any substantive amendments during this reading. Following the vote, a conference committee will be appointed by the House and the Senate. This committee will meet to iron out differences between the two budgets. This process will likely begin in early April.
Conference can be an exciting or dangerous time.
Many changes can be made to the budget during Conference. Often, members who withdrew budget amendments in prior meetings will try to include them during Conference. Unfortunately, much of the discussion and bargaining takes place outside of public meetings. I hope to have a similar opportunity in the next Conference process. The legislature is planning on adjourning at noon on March 31st.