Speaker warns senators: finish engrossing by Wednesday or expect to return April 17

Speaker Arch addressed the chamber at the start of the day with an administrative message about session timing and procedural constraints.

He said the Legislature’s extended debate on the budget and two failed cloture motions have consumed time set aside for priority-bill debate and left the body at risk of needing the scheduled 60th day (April 17). Speaker Arch explained the technical engrossment timeline: for a bill to appear on final reading on day 59 it must be correctly engrossed by the bill-drafters’ office by the end of day 57 (the upcoming Wednesday), with day 58 the required layover day. Drafters must proof, format operative dates and produce final-reading copies for the clerk prior to adjournment on Wednesday night.

He warned that adding bills or filing late amendments increases engrossing workload—short bills can take 45–60 minutes to engross; longer bills and those with multiple operative dates can take several hours. The Speaker asked senators to limit amendment drafting requests to measures they plan to offer and to be mindful that last-minute additions can force the body to stand at ease, possibly late into the night, to allow drafters to complete final copies.

Speaker Arch said he would announce Thursday morning whether the body would need to meet on the scheduled 60th day and urged members to hold April 17 open pending that decision. The advisory explained the bills-on-final-read constraint that underpins the potential for a day-60 session and urged cooperation to minimize pocket-veto risk.