The chaotic and unproductive 2021 session

It was supposed to be one of the most consequential legislative sessions in nearly a decade. But after debating tax hikes, police reform, COVID-19 precautions, the governor’s executive powers, vehicle emissions standards, marijuana legalization, voter ID, rent control, abortion clinic licensing and other thorny political issues, lawmakers adjourned with only a “numbers only” budget agreement that still needs to be crafted and passed by June 30. This week, senior political reporter Ricardo Lopez runs down the inflection points of the four-and-a-half month-long session and its anti-climactic finish.