Wednesday marks the beginning of the last four weeks of Colorado’s 2018 General Assembly session. That means “hurry-up” time, with 295 bills (out of 615) on the House and Senate docket still looking for final action – and at least one more to come.

The majority of those bills on final approach originated in the House. That includes three more measures introduced this week, on developmental disabilities (House Bill 18-1376) and employment issues (House Bills 1377 and 1378).

Those 295 bills include some of the major bills of the 2018 session:

One bill that has yet to be introduced: The annual School Finance Act, which funds Colorado’s K-12 public schools for 2018-19. Lawmakers had hoped to have it introduced before the budget process started, but the measure’s final draft has stalled while funding for rural schools is being hammered out. Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Lakewood told Colorado Politics the school finance bill will be introduced Wednesday.

An interim committee has been working on a revamp of the school financing laws, but changes aren’t expected until the 2019 session. A bill backed by most of the state’s school superintendents, House Bill 1232, would create a new funding distribution formula. The bill is slated for the House Education Committee on April 18.

Senate Majority Leader Chris Holbert of Parker said this week that because the budget bill started in the House this year, it left one less week for the Senate to work on the avalanche of bills headed from the House to the Senate in the session’s closing weeks. He commented Wednesday morning that he’s grateful for the Senate’s ability to pass bills listed in a consent calendar, which allows the Senate to mass approve bills that aren’t likely to draw much opposition or controversy.

As of the start of business Wednesday, the Senate has introduced 237 bills; the House has added 378. The House’s list includes all of the supplemental and budget bills for 2018.

While the deadline for bills was Monday, if the General Assembly behaves the way it usually does, you’ll see bills introduced right up until the final Monday of the session.

Remember, it only takes three days to pass a bill.