After a two-week recess, state lawmakers prepare for a return to work in search of a lame-duck cure for the state's budget crisis.
And much needs to be done before the term's end on Dec. 13.
State Rep. Virg Bernero, D-Lansing, said he expects many measures to be looked at before the term's end.
Some of those bills, Bernero said, include raising the cap on the number of charter schools, eliminating some weapons-free zones, the creation of the Detroit Area Regional Transit Authority and court packing.
The transit authority bill is waiting to emerge from a conference committee, after it was passed by both the state House and Senate.
However, Bernero said he hopes those issues aren't touched until next term.
"My bias is that they wait," he said. "There's going to be more balance next session and any things that would pass now to me are considered suspect, the longer the lame-duck session, the worse it will be. The Republicans still control everything and there's a possibility that they would try to ramrod some deals through."
House Republican spokesman Kendall Wingrove said he doesn't know the number of bills not dealing with the budget crisis that will be reviewed before the term's end. However, Wingrove said he thinks among those bills will be the Detroit Area Regional Transit Authority bill.
"Speaker (Rick) Johnson remains committed to putting this bill up for a House vote in the lame-duck session," he said.
Matt Resch, spokesman for Gov. John Engler, said the governor's agenda should be pretty straight forward.
"The governor's essential priority at this point is resolving the budget situation and working with the Legislature on any executive order cuts," Resch said. "We don't have many things on our to do list, we're working on the budget. The Legislature may have some things they want to get done."
State Rep. Paul DeWeese, R-Williamston, said he expects a bill that would extend gambling simulcasting to horse races to go through the House. DeWeese said the bill would generate great interest for both the Democrats and Republicans because of the possibility of the venture's taxes going to education.
"There will be quite a few things probably that will be passed," DeWeese said. "I'm not sure if everything the governor wants to get passed will get passed. We know for sure we have to deal with the budget."
Bill Ballenger, editor and publisher of the Lansing-based newsletter Inside Michigan Politics, said he expects other bills to make their way through the House and possibly the Senate.
Some of those bills, Ballenger said, deal with issues such as living wage ordinances, reducing the size of the Blue Cross Blue Shield board and the reorganization of the Detroit Water Board.
But Ballenger says the "big enchilada" of the lame-duck session will be the budget.
"The state has got so many fiscal problems. The question is whether they will have the time, the interest or the stomach to take on all these other issues," Ballenger said. "Many would like to just handle the budget situation as best they can and get the hell out of Dodge."
