House Ways and Means advances multiple bills, including bonding vehicle amendments tied to a $1.2 billion plan

The House Ways and Means Committee on May 15 moved several bills to the General Register, including vehicle measures tied to the sessiononding negotiations and Senate File 334, after adopting amendments by voice vote.

The chair opened the hearing with procedural rules and then called the first vote on Senate File 334, described during the meeting as the information-technology bill. The committee adopted the D E 1 amendment and passed the bill as amended to the General Register by voice vote.

The committee then advanced three House vehicle bills tied to the ongoing bonding package. House File 2484, presented as the vehicle for the cash portion of the bonding bill, was amended with a D E 1 amendment moved by Representative Cosmic and approved by voice vote. The committee moved the amended bill to the General Register.

House File 719, described as the vehicle for the general-obligation portion of the bonding package, was presented with an A1 amendment that members adopted by voice vote; the committee approved the bill as amended to move to the General Register.

House File 2486 was presented as a backup vehicle for the bonding bill. Presenters and members discussed an A1 amendment that referenced an approximately $1.2 billion funding level for the package. Representative Cleaver asked for level-setting context; presenters thanked House Chair Franzen and the co-chairs for negotiation work. The committee adopted the amendment and sent the bill as amended to the General Register.

Representative Pinto urged that some portion of the roughly $1.2 billion be allocated to early childhood learning and child-protection facilities. "I
m a big fan of early childhood learning and child protection facilities," Representative Pinto said, and asked that the final bill include funding for those priorities. The committee did not specify exact funding shares on the floor; the vehicle bills were advanced to the General Register to preserve them while negotiations continue upstairs.

The chair also noted that the cannabis bill remained on the day's agenda but said the committee would recess after the current bills and reconvene later to consider and pass the cannabis bill.

Next steps: the measures moved to the General Register will continue through the House process and may return for final floor action after ongoing negotiations conclude. The committee recessed and said it will announce a time to reconvene later in the day to take up the delayed items and the cannabis bill.