The Legislature: All Downhill From Here

Though the 60-day session ends midnight Saturday, the House and Senate must each receive pending bills from its committees by this evening or face suspending its rules to ensure a vote on passage.

Within a universe of 378 bills (158 House, 220 Senate) that survived last week's crossover deadline, 65 have gone to the governor so far. Among the issues passed or pending (not including racetrack table games or teacher pay raises):

* GAS TAX: The Associated Press has a story on the Senate Finance Committee voting to renew a nickel-a-gallon portion of the state gas tax _ after tinkering with the House version of the bill.

* ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WORKERS: Both AP and The Charleston Gazette report on legislation sent Manchin targeting employers.

* LANDFILL: The Gazette checks on another stalled bill, a measure addressing a $24 million "mega-landfill" for McDowell County that attracted a small crowd of both pro- and con- to a Monday public hearing.

* METHADONE CLINICS: The Register-Herald of Beckley hears from a key supporter on pending legislation addressing regulations for these facilities.

* PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: With the House and Gov. Joe Manchin at odds over the governor's proposal for the pharmaceutical advocate's office, MetroNews reports on the stalled status of the bill in the Senate. A coalition of labor, education and religious groups, meanwhile, share their support of the House version with The Register-Herald.

* TURNPIKE TOLLS: The House Finance Committee has scaled back Senate-sought oversight of the turnpike parent agency's powers to sell financing bonds and hike tolls, as both MetroNews and The Register-Herald report.

* TRUMP RETURNS: Public Broadcasting has lined up longtime former House Minority Leader Charles Trump, R-Morgan, to co-host its live coverage of the session's final hours Saturday.