By Freddy Monares/UM Legislative News Service

HELENA - The Montana Senate convened Friday for a special floor session that started at 8 a.m., in an effort to get through bills and bank days for a possible special session the Legislature may have to call to deal with changes in the state budget that could come from a possible repeal of Obamacare and other federal programs.

“So, in all probability we could be done by probably 4 o’clock in the afternoon,” said Scott Sales, R-Bozeman, President of the Senate.

There were more than 40 bills scheduled to be heard at the floor session Friday.

“So if we work hard, we could have a little extended -- well, I won’t call it a vacation -- but, we’ll have a little extended leave from the Capitol,” Sales said.

The House is expected to meet until Wednesday, before transmittal break, which is a deadline for when bills must transfer from the one chamber to the other.

The House meeting next week would negate the Senate’s efforts to conserve days for a special session.

Freddy Monares is a reporter with the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Broadcasters Association and the Greater Montana Foundation.

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