If the legislature were a fraternity, this might be Hell Week.

Or at least, float-building night.

Today is the deadline for House and Senate bills to be heard and sent to the other chamber, so lawmakers worked into the night Tuesday hearing bills in committee or debating bills on the floor.

Another long day is expected today as the legislature inches toward the midpoint of its four- month session.

Lawmakers killed a plastic bags bill, approved increasing a tire-recyling fee and debated at length a key transportation measure. They also wrestled with one of the most complicated provisions of the state budget, known as Arveschoug-Bird, the 6 percent general fund spending limit.

The Senate Finance Commmittee passed a bill to repeal the limit, despite fierce opposition from Republicans.

"I personally believe that this is a spending limit protected by the Constitution," said Sen. Keith King, R-Colorado Springs.

He also called it "highway robbery" because he said he believes it will hurt transportation.

Marty Nielson, president of the conservative Colorado Union of Taxpayers, urged the committee to kill the bill.

"Only in the legislature can the will of the people be so belittled," she said.

But one of the strongest advocates of Senate Bill 228 is former Rep. Brad Young, a Lamar Republican who sat on the Joint Budget Committee. He talked about the problems the limit creates.

The sponsor, Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, said the limit is particularly difficult during a down economy, because essential services that are cut during a recession won't get a big infusion of money to restore them when the economy recovers.

He outlined several reasons why he thought the "arbitrary" limit should be lifted: It would restore flexibility to the state's budget process, and make it easier for taxpayers to understand.

And it wouldn't bind the legislature to the decisions of previous legislatures.

"Every generation should be able to governor for itself and not be unduly governed from the grave," Morse said.

In legislative action Tuesday

* A measure that gives same-sex and other couples the right to visit each other in the hospital and inherit each other's property passed the House 41-24 and is headed to the Senate. Meanwhile, a bill that extends health care benefits to the partners of gay and lesbian state workers passed the Senate on a 22-12 vote and is headed to the House. Critics of both bills contend they go against a 2006 vote rejecting giving gay and lesbian couples many of the rights and responsibilities of married couples.

* A tire recycling fee would increase from $1.50 per tire to $3.25 to raise $5 million for a "clean technology grant" program under Senate Bill 131, that received initial approval in the Senate. Republicans dissented, saying it was unfair to hike the fee to just fund another program.