Legislators almost done

COEUR d'ALENE - Friday, which was the 2010 Idaho Legislative adjournment target, came and went. Now legislators are predicting the current session will come to an end early next week instead.

COEUR d'ALENE - Friday, which was the 2010 Idaho Legislative adjournment target, came and went.

Now legislators are predicting the current session will come to an end early next week instead.

Idaho state Rep. Bob Nonini said he's expecting the session to wrap up Tuesday, at the latest.

Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, said legislators are doing a lot of last-minute work to avoid a special session later this year that could be called by the governor if state tax revenues fall short of what is expected to be taken in.

"It's a really serious issue that we have to take care of before we leave (Boise)," Nonini said.

Rep. Jim Clark predicted adjournment would likely come late Monday, or Tuesday.

Clark, R-Hayden Lake, said legislators are trying to complete budgets.

"We need to get the budgets out on the floor and voted on," he said. "It takes time. There's nothing wrong" with passing the targeted adjournment date.

The target was set back in January, he said.

Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, said he anticipated the session ending Monday evening. Legislators will not be working today or Sunday.

Partially, he blamed missing adjournment Friday on the Government Electronic Management System, which transports legislative information.

"There has been trouble getting the bugs out of the system all year," Goedde said.

Also, he said, there's "legislation that seems to be moving slower on the house side."

Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden, said the difficulty of getting all the legislative paperwork completed is the primary reason the session didn't end Friday. He said legislative staffers are putting forth a great effort, but the amount of work to wrap up is substantial.