LANSING – The Michigan House and Senate completed a deal on restoring home heating aid for the poor and sent that legislation (SB 364 and SB 864) to Governor Rick Snyder for signature. The House, despite some reticence among conservative Republicans, passed a new structure for the state’s film incentive program (SB 569 ) with that bill on its way to the governor.

Save for the sine die adjournment, set for December 28 and when no legislative action is expected, the Legislature will recess until January 11. At that point, lawmakers could take another crack at the Court of Appeals redistricting (HB 5160 ) and road commission elimination legislation (HB 5125 and HB 5126 ).

Getting stuck on those issues was a surprise, perhaps because Thursday’s session capped what by most measures was a year that saw more major legislation passed and enacted by the Republican majority and Snyder than any in modern history.

For a year largely free of drama, Thursday saw some, even though neither the House nor the Senate came close to going past midnight.

There was a confrontation involving Rep. Harvey Santana (D-Detroit) and Rep. Roy Schmidt (D-Grand Rapids) near the desk of Rep. David Nathan (D-Detroit), forcing House sergeants to separate them.

And eventually the House got so antsy to wrap up its session that it took the rare step of ordering the members to remain in their seats for the rest of the night and staff was told to leave the floor unless they had somewhere to sit.

Both sides sought to put a cap on the extraordinary year.

“When I became speaker, I was told our goals were too lofty because we’d never be able to get done what so many before us had tried and failed to do,” House Speaker Jase Bolger (R-Marshall) said in a statement after the House adjourned. “We accomplished more this year than many people thought we could, but I don’t expect to rest. As legislators, we should never feel like our job is done because our job is to continue to move Michigan forward.”

Minority House Democrats had a different take, giving out “F” grades to the GOP majority.

Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) declared 2011 an incredibly productive year. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats wrote on their blog, “The Senate has adjourned, and not a moment too soon.”

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