Through Tuesday the House had sent 134 of its bills to the Senate and the Senate had sent more than 98 bills to the House, but the Senate only forwarded two of those bills to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Meanwhile, the House has forwarded 11 bills to Malloy.
That means a total of 13 bills have passed both chambers.
Yes, both chambers are controlled by Democrats, but the unevenness and pace of business had some speculating there was still tension between House Speaker Brendan Sharkey and Senate President Donald Williams.
The two differed early this year on a bill that would have banned genetically-modified grass.
Both said Wednesday that there are no hard feelings.
“We are where we usually are at the end of any session,” Williams said Wednesday. “We’re trying to move as many Senate bills down to the House and the House is trying to move as many House bills up to the Senate.”
Sources say there was concern Tuesday night in the House that business in the Senate wasn’t going as smoothly as it had in previous years.
Williams explained that in the closing days of the session the Senate is able to move a “tremendous amount” of legislation on a consent calendar.
“Despite what folks might say this is where we stand at the end of any session,” he added.
Sharkey, who has spoken with Williams, said he’s operating under the assumption that the Senate will do what it often does and that’s “put a whole bunch of bills on consent.”
Sharkey said he’s in communication with Williams over management of both calendars so “that we can both get our bills done.”
