"We'll deal with that," said Senate Republican Leader Stewart Iverson of Clarion. "I'm not going to stand around and whine about what I may want that didn't happen. We'll just move on."

The deadline likely will be the end of the line for two bills sought by Senate Republican leaders -- reinstatement of the death penalty and a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages. Democratic leaders are blocking both measures.

But Democrats are unlikely to get House action on a bill that would cap interest rates on high-interest car title loans. And a Democrat-backed bill addressing school bullying may fall off the table.

But some big issues with bipartisan appeal will remain alive, including efforts to boost the use of ethanol and tougher criminal penalties for sex offenders.

Under the Senate's "zero-tolerance" bill, adults convicted of a sexual offense against a child under age 12 would serve a mandatory 25-years-to-life prison sentence. Judges would decide the length of sentence and convicted offenders would not be eligible for parole.

The bill, which has 45 co-sponsors in the 50-member Senate, also makes it a felony to harbor a sex offender, with a prison term of up to five years.

On ethanol, lawmakers are working to come up with a bill that both sets a goal for statewide renewable fuel use and helps gas stations make the conversions necessary to sell E85. Lawmakers see E85, ethanol blended with 15 percent unleaded gasoline, as the industry's future.

Iverson said Senate Republicans would decide today on the next step in the TouchPlay saga. The House approved a bill that would delay pulling the plug on the controversial lottery games until Sept. 1.

"We've asked our members to go home and talk to folks," Iverson said. "For me personally, I think (Sept. 1) is OK ... To give them an extra 90 days is not going to be the end of the world."

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