Start of Legislature behind schedule

Legislative time was the rule today as the Senate and Assembly began the formal process of convening the 2009 Legislature almost an hour late.

The session was to convene at noon but as of 1 p.m. Chief Justice Jim Hardesty was just beginning the process of signing the certificates of election for the 10 members elected or re-elected in November.

The Assembly was on hold until he completed that process.

Once the formal process of notifying each other and the governor that each house of the Legislature is organized and ready to do business is completed, the plan was to begin introducing some 240 pieces of legislation pre-filed in the Senate and Assembly.

That will jump start the committee hearings on those proposals Wednesday.