Standing Committees

One of the common misconceptions about the legislature is that the legislators are at work only when they are on the floor voting on bills, resolutions, and procedural matters. People usually visit the legislature on a day when the houses are in session, and wonder how anything gets accomplished in view of the apparently confused, disorganized picture presented by legislators on the floor. What such people fail to realize is that most of the work of the legislature is done in committee. Committees are the backbone of the legislative process. Behind every bill of general importance considered on the floor of each house, lie hours of careful work by the members of the committee to which the bill was referred. The legislature as a whole, relies on its committees to weed out the frivolous, dangerous,or less important measures and to report out only those bills deserving the consideration of the entire house.

Interim Committees

| Calenders, An Idea | Introduction (First Reading) |
| Debates | Transmittal and Action in Second House |
| Conference Committees | Enrolled Bills, The Governor |