What is Crossover Day? - If You Were Joan of Arc, you'd rather see a match

Crossover is the 30th day of the 40 day General Assembly session. By legislative rules, it is the last day that a bill must be passed by it's originating chamber to be eligible to continue to be "alive". So it is a mad scramble to load up the calendar of the 30th day with bills to get a final chance toward becoming law. Well, "final" is actually a relative term in the Gold Dome. Because bills can be amended, that is the manuever that can be used to by-pass the Crossover rule. Legislators and/or leadership can take a bill that failed to make the cut-off and just attach it to a bill that did. This is difficult to track and often happens at the last minute. Imagine the possibilities: a bill you thought had died is attached to another bill and all the sudden there is a new bill number to follow, amendments can happen on the floor and legislators are somewhat blindsided, those favoring or oppossing the contents of the amendment have to get word into the chamber for a last minute battle...well, you get the picture.

But what makes it to the floor by the 30th day is generally an indication of leaderships priorities. So many of the contoversial bills that don't make the cut are truly seen as not moving this year. Since General Assembly is in the first of a two year cycle, the bills can be reactivated next January.

And that's how it is.