As of Thursday, Jan. 11, the seventh day of the 2024 legislative session, a total of 349 bills and three proposed constitutional amendments have been introduced. Floor debate on bills “carried over” from last session is expected to begin on Jan. 22 and will continue during morning sessions of floor debate by the Legislature, with Committee hearings to be held in the afternoons.

Floor debate on amendments to rules governing the legislative process began on Thursday morning. The Rules Committee, Chaired by Senator Steve Erdman (Bayard) conducted a public hearing on Monday, January 8 on 34 proposed rules amendments. The Rules Committee has advanced 17 rules amendments for consideration by the full legislature. Speaker John Arch (Papillion) has indicated that the debate on rules amendments will go no longer than Friday, January 19.

While a number of the proposed rules changes are technical in nature, extended floor debate is likely to result on more controversial measures to a) end the practice of “secret ballots” when voting for leadership of committees, speaker and executive board; b) create a sliding scale for the number of senators required to invoke cloture thereby ceasing debate and allowing for a vote on the pending measure. Currently, a motion to invoke cloture requires 33 votes; and c) closing executive sessions to reporters unless a committee chair allows them to participate.

In a departure from prior years, 17 individual senators and one committee have already designated priority bills. In addition, the Speaker has identified three of his 25 legislative priorities. While it’s customary for senators and committees, as well as the Speaker to wait until closer to the deadline for designating priority bills (February 15), individual senators and committee chairs appear to be designating their priorities early in light of the uncertainty for how the session will evolve, considering last year’s frequent filibustering of issues.

Governor Pillen is scheduled to present the annual “State of the State” address on January 18 outlining his priorities for the session.