The eighth day of a potential thirty day special session began early this morning in the House.

The House caucused for much of the morning and then moved a handful of critical bills this afternoon. Among the bills was legislation to eliminate several boards and commissions and a bill that would make several policy changes to higher eduction retirement plans.

The House will return to Olympia on Thursday for a “pro forma” session and to convene the Ways & Means Committee. Several bills necessary to implement the budget are scheduled for public hearings and executive sessions. Among the bills that will be considered on Thursday is a bill that would narrow the scope of work of the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The Senate will convene on the floor at 10:00 tomorrow to be followed by a Ways &  Means hearing in the afternoon. This pattern of floor action in the morning and committee work in the afternoon is expected to dominate most of the Senate’s work this week.