California Association of Sanitation Agencies

CRUNCH TIME AT THE CAPITOL: BEWARE THE “GUT AND AMEND”

For the next two and a half days, the State Legislature will be scrambling to process approximately 300 remaining pieces of legislation before their official adjournment of the 2011 session at midnight on Friday evening. The Senate and Assembly have spent a large portion of the day today holding expedited policy committee hearings to vet last minute amendments to controversial or complex pieces of legislation. This is the time of year that most lobbyists dread, wherein the virtually untrackable “gut and amend” bills start appearing, in a last minute attempt to push an issue through the legislature or to resurrect a measure that had previously died or was held in committee. For example, as introduced early this year, SB 922 pertained to immunizations and tuberculosis screening, but last Friday, the contents of the bill were stripped, and new language was placed into the bill pertaining to Project Labor Agreements. (see next article)

casa_legislative_update_9-7-11.pdf