Time is running out with the fate of major bills yet to be decided this legislative session Today might well be the crucial day in the last week of the session.

House Majority Floor Leader Steven Tilley of Perryville knows the clock and the calendar are working against him.

"Well, time is getting short and there are a few bills that I think are pretty important that we need to get done," Tilley tells the Missourinet.

The two major bills, according to Tilley are an omnibus education bill and a huge health care bill.

Tilley had planned to get to the education bill, SB 291 , on Monday, but the night grew long and he decided to wait until today. The health care bill, SB 306 , was key to breaking the budget impasse last week. House leadership promised to consider an expansion of health care after rejecting an expansion of Medicaid contained in the social services bill. Tilley says he also would like to get to a local government bill and a judiciary bill. He says the prospects for HJR 32 , the $700 million bond issue, are dwindling.

Difference will have to be worked out with the Senate before Friday, because House rules prohibit taking up a conference committee report unless distributed a legislative day in advance.

Any obstacle erected now could easily derail legislation.

"Absolutely, if you have a bill that starts too much discussion on the floor, it just gets pulled. So, it’s one of those things. There are more bills on the calendar than we can go to," says Tilley. "Any kind of problem really is a death knell for a lot of bills this week."

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (1:16 MP3)