OLYMPIA -- The hopes of many interest groups, lobbyists and citizens with hopes for key pieces of legislation hang in the balance today, a major "cut-off" day for bills.

If a bill doesn't have some fiscal aspect to it, it must have passed the chamber where it was introduced by 5 p.m. today. That means the morning could be filled like the last few days, with quick votes on non-controversial bills. But the afternoon could become a chess match over controversial legislation that could generate heated, and possibly long debates and eat up the clock.

Any non-fiscal bill that doesn't pass, or at least have debate start, before 5 p.m. is all but dead and would need significant parliamentary maneuvering to be resuscitated. 

 

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