State lawmakers don’t want to end the economic development special session even though the House and Senate are at odds about what should be done.

Both chambers are going to mark time to see if somebody can figure out a middle ground on key tax credit reforms and job creation proposals.

Senate leaders are frustrated that the House has taken no action on the economic development bill the senate passed early in the session, which began September 6. The bill has had a hearing before a House committee but the committee has delayed taking a vote. Supposedly a new plan has been worked out between the House and Governor Nixon; the senate is angry that it was not included in those negotiations although the governor had said he was satisfied with the bill the senate approved. The House so far has not considered its own economic development bill.

Both chambers will be marking time for at least a week. Technical sessions will be held next week in which a couple of members of the chamber call the chamber into session and then adjourn, a procedure that is necessary under the constitution to keep the clock running on a session that could go until November 6.

The Senate’s Friday session lasted a little more than an hour and was mostly two senators—Senate leader Rob Mayer of Dixon and Senator Jason Crowell of Cape Girardeau. Senate Democratic leader Victor Callahan of Independence discussed the issue briefly late in the session.

Listen to Crowell, Mayer, and Callahan. 1:00:09 mp3