Crossover Coming | Video

Jessica Roose | 2/12/2013

In the five weeks that lawmakers have been in session, they`ve been hearing and voting on hundreds of bills. But they can`t slow down yet. On March 1, members of both chambers need to be finished discussing and voting on bills in their respective chambers so they start looking in to bills passed from the other side.

From childcare to roads and infrastructure, with the oil boom comes whole new set of issues that need to be discussed.

"Quite frankly I`ve heard a lot more talk about cutting oil extraction taxes than I have about addressing oil impacts," said Senator Mac Schneider (D) from Grand Forks.

With just about two weeks left until crossover, lawmakers are gearing up for some long days ahead to make sure to get through about 200 bills, many dealing with the needs out west.

"They`ll be big bills. A bill for example is the infrastructure money that`s going to go to western North Dakota and the impacted areas by the growth. Huge bill, got a lot of money in it," said Representative Al Carlson (R) from Fargo.

Carlson says, to this point, many of the bills heard have been housekeeping type ones with not much opposition. As they get into the more controversial bills, he isn`t worried about getting the work done.

"We`ll sit here as long as it takes. If we have to have the midnight oil burning, we will."

Schneider says even with the time crunch, it`s crucial they pass good legislation on to the other chamber. "Right now we need to have a sense of urgency. We have to pass property tax relief that we need to deliver. We have oil impacts out west and we need to be planning now for life after the oil boom."

Lawmakers must now use their time wisely to finalize the bills they have left.

After the crossover, lawmakers will begin hearing testimony on bills passed out of the opposite chamber and make any amendments they see fit.

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