Take nothing for granted.

     That’s my mantra for the week.

On my long list of bills, the only ones I’m working on this week are the ones that could still pass the House by Monday night and thereby avoid the Senate Rules Committee.

If the amendment I drafted last night is not adopted in committee today, its chances of being in the final bill are greatly diminished.

So I said to a key staffer this morning, “Am I being a nudge if I ask what’s happened since we first discussed this last night?”

The response was not negative.

On the House floor, I was told that my referendum petition bill was in trouble because of expected Republican opposition.

So I asked Del. Parrott to explain our compromise to the GOP members of the Election Law Subcommittee and to the Minority Leader.  They’re now on board, and the Dems on the subcommittee were told that.

No doubt more mini crises before Monday night…

I grade law students on their drafting in the fall semester.

I drafted an amendment on the fly this afternoon.  I’ll be graded on it twice.

Here’s how this speed drafting came about.

I had been told that there were no problems with the language that I wanted to add to a bill in another committee.

Late this afternoon, I learned that the relevant provision would not be as specific as I had proposed.  The committee will be voting on the bill and the amendments tomorrow.

To have any chance of succeeding now, I would have to tinker with the unsatisfactory language.  Make a not so good amendment better.

A major rewrite has no chance.

I spoke with the person who had helped me draft the language I had originally submitted.  We came up with a suitable revision.

If it’s added to the bill in question, a B.

After that B, the more important grade will be based on whether this language has the positive impact I’m seeking.

Even if your bill does not pass, you can claim victory.

A letter from a committee chair can ask a Cabinet Secretary to do what your bill would have required the agency to do.

Such requests usually receive a positive response.  The Secretary has an ongoing relationship with the chair.

I suggested that two such letters be sent this week.

But no details in this blog until the chairs sign the letters.

Every significant capital project starts with money for design.  The funding for the bricks and mortar follows the next year.  I learned that a long time ago.

A new program where regulations must be written before money is awarded to applicants can start with a small appropriation.  The real money will come the next fiscal year.

I learned that today, when a colleague proposed that low-cost alternative.