Lincoln County lawmakers expect the legislative pace to pick upa little this week now that most early session formalities are outof the way.

“This week we’ll get down to business,” said Dist. 92 Rep. Dr.Jim Barnett.

An early-session event that will get attention is new Gov. HaleyBarbour’s State of the State address Monday evening. Lincoln Countylawmakers were taking a wait and see approach to the speech.

Dist. 53 Rep. Bobby Moak anticipated the governor’s commentswould focus on where to cut spending.

“I think one of the first things will be to live within themoney,” Moak said. “That’s the same thing we’re doing in theHouse.”

Barnett was looking for more specifics on ideas such asindustrial work force training. He was optimistic about Barbour’schances for success.

“I think it will be good,” Barnett said about the upcomingspeech. “I feel like it will be what I want to hear.”

Dist. 39 Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith expected the governor to focus onimproving the state in all possible areas.

“I think he will be well-accepted,” Hyde-Smith said. “So far,things are going very good, very smoothly.”

In other action, lawmakers predicted committees would begintaking up bills that have been assigned to them.

“We’ll have an opportunity to look at bills that have beenintroduced in the Senate,” Hyde-Smith said.

Hyde-Smith, chairman of the Agriculture committee, said no billshad been assigned yet.

“We’re still in a holding pattern, waiting for bills to beassigned to committees,” Hyde-Smith said.

Moak, chairman of the new Gaming committee in the House, said hewould have either Ethics Commission, Gaming Commission or Secretaryof State officials attend Thursday’s committee meeting. GamingCommission officials have expressed issues and concerns about theindustry, and Moak said the panel wanted to hear those.

“I think we’ll be able to address some of those for them,” Moaksaid.

Moak, a member of the Ways and Means committee, said it willhave its first organizational meeting Tuesday.

“We’ve got several weeks before our deadlines start to hit inthe first year of a new four-year term,” Moak said. “Things move ata slower pace.”

Moak and Barnett, both members of the Public Health and HumanServices committees, said the full House would take up a bill thisweek to give optometrists more leeway in practicing their medicalprofession.

Moak said the measure has been fought by opthalmologists, whofeel it is an infringement on their practice. Opthalmologists arephysicians who specialize in treatment of diseases of the eye,while optometrists treat visual defects through corrective lensesand other methods that do not require a physician’s license.

“It’s been a contentious issue for years,” Moak said.

Barnett said the bill had died every year he had been in thelegislature. He said the latest version has been “watered down” butwas still OK, and he predicted it would pass.

“It’s not a bad bill,” Barnett said.