McConnell: Going home early not an option

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell said Wednesday there is an abundance of legislation yet to be passed this year, and he discounted early adjournment unless the General Assembly finishes its business.

McConnell, R-Charleston, said it's not unusual for lawmakers to want to go home early in an election year to campaign. But that happens rarely, he said.

McConnell said he still committed this year to restructuring the Budget and Control Board, to a swath of legislation dealing  with criminal justice reforms, including allowing convicts to use DNA to prove their innocence, and he said the Senate is making progress in naming a new director of the state Department of Public Safety.

This afternoon, the Senate will revisit illegal immigration, as lawmakers try to hammer out a bill that slows the flow of undocumented workers into the state.