The Legislature: Home Stretch

The 60-day regular session of the Legislature enters its final week Monday with about 344 bills still in play and 34 sent to Gov. Joe Manchin so far (including four Senate measures passed by the House during a Sunday evening floor session).

The Associated Press starts off the week with a look at some of the pending issues, and notable casualties. Among some of the topics:

* EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE: The (Beckley) Register-Herald reports on the proposed overhaul of the system for handling public employee grievances, passed by the Senate to the House.

* LOBBYIST TAX BREAK? The Senate has offered to exempt lobbyists from the 6 percent sales tax, which is assessed on a variety of service providers as well as goods. Public Broadcasting scrutinizes the situation, and also offers audio.

* PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: After the House hijacked Gov. Joe Manchin's pharmaceutical advocate bill, MetroNews checks in with the Senate to assess the bill's future (with audio).

* REGULATING STREAMS: The Register-Herald is the latest to review highly contested pending legislation that would classify state waterways for environmental protections.

* STATE INVESTMENTS: Several House committees met Sunday, with House Finance advancing a long-sought measure to allow the state to expand its investment portfolio. The Charleston Gazette has the story.

*TOBACCO BOND: The above article adds that House Finance endorsed Manchin's proposal to secure some up-front cash through bonds backed by payments from the state's tobacco lawsuit settlement.