I couldn't stand it any more. I talked to some people at the capitol, got several versions, and this is what I learned from a high level insider. I don't want to quote a specific office, because I don't want to start any finger-pointing.
SB17 has been received in the House. HB910 has been received in the Senate.
It's a certainty that either HB910 or SB17 will pass; it's just not known which one. There's currently a "stand off" between Strauss and Patrick in deciding which one to go forward with a vote. The first one to go to a vote will win, as both chambers have plenty of votes to pass. Strauss wants his bill (HB910) to pass, and Patrick wants his bill (SB17) to pass. They're stuck, of course, because each one's bill is in the OTHER one's chamber - Strauss has Patrick's bill, and Patrick has Strauss's. You first. Naaaaaw, you first. Naaaaaaw, you first.
So, politically, everybody's waiting for one of them to blink. I was reassured that one of them WILL pass, we just don't know which one yet. Of course, nobody wants to look soft and give in too easily, so right now it's a standoff.
![ToeTap :totap:](./images/smilies/toetap05.gif)
And that, as best I can tell, is the inside scoop.