Legislative leaders announce 2017 committee deadlines

House and Senate leadership on Thursday announced committee deadlines for the four-week-old 2017 session.

According to a memo from House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa), the committee deadlines are:

• March 10 — committees must act favorably on bills in the house of origin;
• March 17 — committees must act favorably on bills, or companion bills, that met the first deadline in the other house; and,
• March 31 — committees must act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.

Following committee deadlines, the bulk of the Legislature’s work shifts to the floors of the House and Senate. Legislators are constitutionally required to adjourn the 2017 session by May 22.