week 10 report: requests up 36% for session; 60% for week

Single week requests up 60% for week 10

During the period March 23-March 29, 2007, North Carolina legislative staff received 157 substantive bill requests, up 60% from the 98 received the same week in the 2005 Session. For the week March 16-22, 2007, staff received 240 requests.

36% cumulative increase up slightly from last week

North Carolina legislative staff have received 3,472 substantive bill drafting requests by the end of the tenth week of the 2007 Regular Session today, up over 36% compared with the same point in the 2005 Regular Session.  Cumulative increases reported previously were week 8 and 9: 35%; week 7: 37%; week 6: 46%; week 5: 45%, week 4: 40%, week 3: 35%.

CHART OF CHANGES IN REQUEST VOLUME 2005:2007

2005

2007

CHANGE

RESEARCH DIVISION

324

348

+6.48%

DRAFTING DIVISION

2212

3127

+41.37%

GRAND TOTAL

2536

3472

+35.97%

TWO DEADLINES REMAIN

Two filing deadlines still remain: April 18 for House Public bills and May 9 for House Appropriations and Finance bills. The total number of substantive bill requests for the 2005 long session was 3,241. The current 2007 total of 3,472 substantive requests already exceeds that.  

Blank bill requests drop

Blank bill requests are down 82% from 2005, dropping from 488 requests in 2005 to 83 in 2007. Senators are limited to two blank bill filings for the biennium, while the new House permanent rules do not allow blank bills. In 2005 there were no blank bill limits for the long session.

2007 Senate bill total highest since 1927; 1558 filed

Total up 31% from 2005

The 1558 bills and resolutions filed in the Senate by April 11 is the highest in the last 80 years, highest since 1620 were filed in 1927. The most recent high was 1557 in 1987.  The 2007 total is 31% higher than the 2005 total of 1184 and 51% higher than the 1028 recorded in 2003. (The totals in this post are just for the odd-numbered long session years, although the General Assembly rarely met in the even-numbered year before 1974.)  The normal trickle of resolutions, which were not subject to the March 27 filing deadline, will gradually push this year’s total higher.

The Legislative Library’s statistical comparison for 1965-2006, plus statistics I’ve kept for earlier years allows us to look at comparative filing stats for the Senate for the long session:

2007: 1558

2005: 1184

2003: 1028

2001: 1109

1999: 1175

1997: 1089

1995: 1103

1993: 1299

1991: 972

1989: 1337

1987: 1557

1985:   854

1983:  701

1981:  793

1979:  945

1977:  917

1975:  995

1973:  955

1971: 1011

1969:  910

1967:  750

1965:  616

1963:  709

1961:  512

1959:  517

1957:  534

1955:  607

1953:  459

1951:  623

1949:  491

1947:  481

1945:  445

1943:  365

1941:  353

1939:  509

1937:  512

1935:  649

1933:  758

1931:  660

1929: 1487

1927: 1629

1925: 1566

Week 9 report: requests up 35% for session; 48% for week

Single week requests up 48% for week 9

During the period March 16-March 22, 2007, North Carolina legislative staff received 240 substantive bill requests, up 48% from the 162 received the same week in the 2005 Session. For the week March 9-15, 2007, staff received 540 requests.

35% cumulative increase same as last week

North Carolina legislative staff have received 3,315 substantive bill drafting requests by the end of the ninth week of the 2007 Regular Session today, up over 35% compared with the same point in the 2005 Regular Session. At the end of 8 weeks, it had been up 35%, after 7 weeks, it had been up 37%, after 6 weeks, it had been up 46%, after 5 weeks up 45%, after 4 weeks, up 40%, at the end of 3 weeks, up 35%.

2005

2007

CHANGE

RESEARCH DIVISION

315

327

+3.81%

DRAFTING DIVISION

2123

2988

+40.74%

GRAND TOTAL

2438

3315

+35.97%

Blank bill requests drop

Blank bill requests are down 82% from 2005, dropping from 483 requests in 2005 to 83 in 2007. Senators are limited to two blank bill filings for the biennium, while the new House permanent rules do not allow blank bills. In 2005 there were no blank bill limits for the long session.

Week 8 report: requests up 35% for session, 26% for last week

Single week requests up 26% for week 8

During the period March 9-March 15, 2007, North Carolina legislative staff received 540 substantive bill requests, up 26% from the 426 received the same week in the 2005 Session. For the week March 2-8, 2007, staff received 367 requests.

35% cumulative increase shows curve flattening

North Carolina legislative staff have received 3,075 substantive bill drafting requests by the end of the eighth week of the 2007 Regular Session today, up over 35% compared with the same point in the 2005 Regular Session. At the end of 7 weeks, it had been up 37%, after 6 weeks, it had been up 46%, after 5 weeks up 45%, after 4 weeks, up 40%, at the end of 3 weeks, up 35%.

2005

2007

CHANGE

RESEARCH DIVISION

260

280

+7.69%

DRAFTING DIVISION

2016

2795

+38.64%

GRAND TOTAL

2276

3075

+35.11%

Blank bill requests drop

Blank bill requests are down 82% from 2005, dropping from 469 requests in 2005 to 83 in 2007. Senators are limited to two blank bill filings for the biennium, while the new House permanent rules do not allow blank bills. In 2005 there were no blank bill limits for the long session.

Bill requests stay the same for week 7, session total up 37%

Single week requests stay steady for week 7

During the period March 2-March 8, 2007, North Carolina legislative staff received 367 substantive bill requests, exactly the same number as the same week in the 2005 Session.

37% cumulative increase shows curve flattening

North Carolina legislative staff have received 2,535 substantive bill drafting requests by the end of the seventh week of the 2007 Regular Session today, up over 37% compared with the same point in the 2005 Regular Session. At the end of 6 weeks, it had been up 46%,  after 5 weeks up 45%, after 4 weeks, up 40%, at the end of 3 weeks, up 35%.

2005

2007

CHANGE

RESEARCH DIVISION

228

241

+5.70%

DRAFTING DIVISION

1622

2294

+41.43%

GRAND TOTAL

1850

2535

+37.03%

Blank bill requests drop

Blank bill requests are down 82% from 2005, dropping from 460 requests in 2005 to 83 in 2007. Senators are limited to two blank bill filings for the biennium, while the new House permanent rules do not allow blank bills. In 2005 there were no blank bill limits for the long session.

Bill requests up 46% after six weeks

46% hike continues steady climb

North Carolina legislative staff have received 2,169 substantive bill drafting requests by the end of the sixth week of the 2007 Regular Session today, up over 46% compared  with the same point in the 2005 Regular Session. At the end of 5 weeks, it had been up 45%, after 4 weeks, it had been up 40%, at the end of 3 weeks, the increase had been 35%.

2005

2007

CHANGE

RESEARCH DIVISION

187

223

+19.25%

DRAFTING DIVISION

1296

1946

+50.15%

GRAND TOTAL

1483

2169

+46.26%

Single week requests up 50% for week 6

During the period February 24-March 1, 2007, staff received 420 substantive bill requests, compared with 280 requests during the comparable period in the 2005 session, a 50% increase. 

 Blank bill requests drop

Blank bill requests are down 82% from 2005, dropping from 441 requests in 2005 to 80 in 2007. Senators are limited to two blank bill filings for the biennium, while the new House temporary rules do not allow blank bills. In 2005 there were no blank bill limits for the long session.