Federal Healthcare Reform:
At 1 a.m. this morning, the Senate voted 60-40 to invoke Cloture on Majority Leader Reid’s manager’s amendment to health reform, limiting debate to 30 hours and ensuring its up or down vote. Monday morning’s cloture vote was a procedural one that allowed Reid to make certain changes to the bill. It wasn’t the big cloture vote, or even the last of the procedural votes that will be held — there are four more to come, with the last scheduled for Christmas Eve. But the outcome of those is now not in doubt.

There is one big test remaining, of course — after the Senate passes its version of the bill, it will have to iron out its differences with the House. That could mean more wrangling.

State Budget Revenue Forecast:
The most recent budget revenue forecast shows the state is $40 million short of what was projected in September. Revenue available for spending in the General Fund is $600.6 million below the amount budgeted for expenditure in FY 2009-10. It is already projected that the state is $1.5 billion short for FY10-11.

The upcoming legislative session will be tackling the FY10-11 budget. The General Assembly convenes Wednesday, January 13th.