Next week: Things gear back up

Along with continued budget negotiations, which surely must coalesce soon into some sort of announced consensus from the House and Senate leadership, next week will bring major committee hearings on some of this year's bigger pieces of legislation.

Sen. Chip Rogers property tax reforms (SB 346) are in the Senate Finance Committee Monday at 11 a.m.

Tuesday and Thursday the governor's transportation funding plan (HB 1218) will be in subcommittee.

Also Tuesday HB 1094, the House version of the governor's water conservation bill, is in committee.

There's also a chance that we get February revenue numbers some time next week, though that would be a little earlier than they are usually released. Many people believe Gov. Sonny Perdue will have to lower his revenue estimate soon, and the February numbers will be taken into account in that process.

Meanwhile, the Junior League sent this picture, of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle reading to children at the Capitol recently, out earlier this week. I like the picture, because the lieutenant governor seems genuinely excited about that butterfly.