LAWMAKERS PREPARE FOR LAST DAYS; SOME REMAIN IN CAPITAL, OTHERS RETURN TO HOMES AS THE FINAL WEEK ARRIVES

State Rep. Larry Thomason opted to remain in Jefferson City rather than spend more than 10 hours of this weekend on the road traveling to and from his home in Kennett.

Rep. Marilyn Williams also gave serious consideration to bypassing the long road trip to her Stoddard County home near Dudley; she thought of using the weekend to unwind in the state capital. But Williams decided after the week she's been through and the one she's about to go through, the best thing for her would be to surround herself with people who love her.

Thomason and Williams are among 194 state lawmakers who are involved in the excruciating final days of the 1993 session of the Missouri General Assembly.

With major issues like a new school foundation formula, workers compensation and health care reform still unresolved, and dozens of other issues on the table, the pace is furious and confusing.

Fellow legislators, the governor and his staff, lobbyists, and folks from back home are besieging senators and representatives about pending legislation.

In many cases, there are no easy answers and little time for thoughtful contemplation.

Both the House and Senate worked until mid-day Friday, rather than their normal noon Thursday adjournment. Work will resume in the Senate and House early Monday, which will force most legislators to drive back to Jefferson City today rather than on Monday morning.

"Everyone is worn to a frazzle," remarked Thomason, as he sat in his fourth floor office eating fish early Friday evening in a near empty capitol. He made note of the fact that just one week from that very hour, the 1993 session would adjourn in accordance with the Missouri Constitution.

Thomason observed the silence is only the calm before the storm, and when things shift into high gear next week, copy machines will be moved to the halls to provide legislators with quick copies of dozens of amendments they will be asked to consider ... many with no time to read.

Williams has been in the middle of the foundation formula battle, serving as vice chairman of the House Education Committee and as a member of a special House-Senate task force that drafted a plan earlier this session for lawmakers to consider.

For Williams, the decision to drive home boiled down to a single word: family.

"This is Mothers Day Weekend. I have to see my mama and mother-in-law," said Williams, who also has two teen-aged sons waiting for her.

"I guess I have to have that fix of going home and knowing someone really cares about me; not because I can vote with them, but because of me and who I am," said Williams.

Thomason plans to go home on Saturday, after the session ends, but admits he won't be a normal person for days.

"It takes me two weeks to decompress, to get to where I'm normal again," said Thomason. "The pace up here the final few weeks is just crazy. The pace is so bad, it just takes you a while to get back to a normal existence.

"When I get home, I can't sit still ... there's just no way to describe what it really is like the final days up here."

Thomason, who as majority whip is involved in daily meetings with the Democratic leadership, points out that in the final two weeks the phone rings constantly and "everybody wants five minutes of your time" to expound on the merits of a bill or an amendment to a bill to help their group.

Rep. Dennis Ziegenhorn, D-Sikeston, was paid a visit in his office from Gov. Mel Carnahan Thursday, concerned about comments the veteran House member had made about changing his vote to "no" on a new school foundation formula plan and tax increase the governor is pushing aggressively.

Ziegenhorn's second thoughts were based on some of the reforms that are contained in the bill and the fact many legislators, including himself, don't know everything that is in the bill.

"People are just lobbied out on this bill," said Ziegenhorn. "I think I'll be a basket case before I leave this place."

The foundation formula bill, defeated on Wednesday, will be reconsidered Monday. Ziegenhorn is spending this weekend at home as he does every weekend, but this time he has a lot on his mind.

"I'm really torn on this thing," said Ziegenhorn, who calls his 13th legislative session the worst one ever in terms of pressure.

In particular, Ziegenhorn is irritated over some tactics being used in the House to hold the voting board open while representatives are being urged to change their vote. "Those kind of tactics leave people on the spot. No one should have to face that kind of pressure on the House floor," said Ziegenhorn.

"If you vote for your constituency, it shouldn't mean anything to anybody else in that room. People ought to leave them alone."

Williams said she is beginning to sense some resentment from some representatives because many major issues are still unresolved. That means instead of debating legislation of importance to many legislators, there is a logjam caused by the bigger issues.

Sen. Jerry Howard, D-Dexter, also senses some growing uneasiness.

"I think there is a great deal of uneasiness out there among the membership because the time is late and we have just not been able to put things together like we want to. We got such a late start on the foundation formula because we were waiting on the governor's office, and that has slowed us down."

Howard's time is dominated by a spot on the conference committee named to resolve differences in the workers comp bill. Still, Howard came home this weekend to honor some commitments in his district.

Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, who is going through his first session, is not returning to the district for the first time this session. After working late in Jefferson City Friday, he decided to spend the weekend in St. Louis preparing for the finale. He was contemplating taking in the symphony Saturday night.

Rep. Mark Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, said Friday the pressure is building, but not nearly as much as it will be by Tuesday or Wednesday.

"We've gotten pretty nasty talking about each others amendments and proposals, but we're not talking about each other yet," remarked Richardson.

"I think this is the most intense of the three sessions I've been involved in, in part because the stakes for education are tremendously high."

Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau, said she is worn out by the hectic pace but is ready for one more week. She spent Friday night at Lake of the Ozarks where her husband, Dr. Mel Kasten, is attending a hospital meeting. On Saturday afternoon she drove home to Cape Girardeau.

Rep. David Schwab, R-Jackson, serving his third term, said this year's session is about like the others.

"It's about the same. We wait until the last couple of weeks to do things," said Schwab. "I don't see much difference, except maybe more arm twisting and maneuvering at the end on the education bill.

Schwab spent Saturday working on his farm near Jackson and talking about the education bill with several teachers in his district.