Tuesday Wrap: Storm the castle

The mob, it would seem, is the 82 House members – out of 120 total – appointed to the conference committee to hammer out a final spending plan for 2015-16, which is already two weeks old. The Senate has yet to appoint any conferees, and with almost one-third of the 45-day extension to pass a budget gone, no discussions have been held.

The House did give final legislative approval Tuesday to bills that increase the penalties for improper operation of amusement rides and tweak the rules for using marijuana oil to treat severe seizure disorders.

In committees, House Rules approved yet another measure related to the annual New Year's Eve Possum Drop in Clay County, Senate Judiciary II took aim at some designer drugs by adding them to the state's list of controlled substances and House Judiciary II heard from employers, business groups and worker advocates about a proposal to crack down on the widespread tactic of classifying employees as contractors to avoid paying unemployment and workers' compensation taxes.