Votes at a glance: Senate Finance committee advances budget bills and 20 other measures to committee on the calendar

The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee on April 15 recommended a package of budget and member bills for passage to the committee on the calendar and ultimately for floor consideration. Several bills were adopted after brief explanations and mostly routine votes; others drew questions from members and a few recorded dissenting votes.

What the committee advanced (selection of bills acted on April 15; committee action is "recommended for passage to committee on the calendar" unless noted):

- Senate Bill 14-29 (Budget Implementation, BIMP): Committee adopted two amendments removing a proposed redirection of tire sales tax revenue and enacting statutory changes to implement the budget; committee recorded 10 ayes on final passage to committee on the calendar.

- Senate Bill 14-30 (Bond Authorization / Capital Outlay): Committee approved a bond authorization bill as amended that authorizes up to roughly $1.034 billion in general obligation bonds for capital projects, including higher education, agency facilities and highway projects. Members questioned fiscal assumptions and debt-service budgeting; committee recommended the bill for passage to committee on the calendar.

- Senate Bill 3 00 (cognitive-behavioral training for certain misdemeanants): Committee approved an amended bill allowing judges discretion to require cognitive behavioral training for certain class A misdemeanor offenders; recorded outcome: recommended for passage (vote recorded: 6 ayes, 3 noes).

- House Joint Resolution 98 (PACT Act expansion request): Committee recommended urging Congress to expand the federal PACT Act to include certain COVID-19…