On February 4, 2008 the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee voted 7 to 4 to pass HB 08-1123 and send it to the House Appropriations Committee with a favorable recommendation.

What happens next:

• The House Appropriations Committee will vote soon (date to be determined) after reviewing the fiscal impact of the bill. There is no testimony on the bill at that time as it is evaluated not on merit, but from a financial impact.

• If the House Appropriations Committee passes the bill then it goes to the floor of House for a final reading and where all of the Representatives will be given the opportunity to vote in favor of or opposition of the bill.

• If the bill passes the House then it moves to the Senate. There Senator Johnson will introduce it on the Senate floor, it gets assigned a Senate Committee, and the process begins again only in the Senate.

• If the bill passes on the Senate floor then it is considered as having passed both chambers and unless the Governor vetoes the bill, then it becomes law on July 1, 2008.


As in common in politics several amendments have been made to the bill. This is not the final version, but to download the current working version, Click Here.