Highlights from the Legislature on Monday.
— The Senate gave final approval to a bill allowing investigators to place a wiretap on a suspect’s telephone for up to four months if they get monthly approval from a judge. House Bill 1130 originally would have allowed authorities to ask for unlimited extensions. Republicans wanted to allow the warrants to last up to a year because they said complex drug cases could take a long time to investigate.
— The Senate gave final approval to a proposal (Senate Bill 164) that would increase the amount juries can award in some medical malpractice suits. People who have been disfigured or impaired would be able to sue for up to $1 million for their injuries although judges could allow jurors to award more money.
— The Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee delayed a vote on a proposal to conduct this year’s elections mainly by paper ballot (Senate Bill 189). Legislative analysts didn’t yet have an estimate of how much the bill would cost but clerks, who oppose the bill, said it could cost at least $11 million.
