The Legislature finished its three-day special session May 7, but it was not officially adjourned until Friday.

The Legislative Council voted to adjourn the session "sine die," a Latin phrase that means "without day," or indefinitely. The 17-member panel of state lawmakers oversees legislative business.

The vote backdates the session's end to its actual May 7 finishing date.

Republican legislative leaders worked out the delayed adjournment plan so they had the option of resuming the special session on Monday if Gov. John Hoeven vetoed any bills approved during the three-day special session.

Hoeven signed all six bills. Had he vetoed any, the Legislature could have reconvened for override votes. Support from two-thirds of the House and Senate is needed to override a governor's veto.

Sen. David O'Connell, D-Lansford, the Senate minority leader, said the procedure was a little strange.

"It put the governor in kind of an awkward position, the way we chose to do things," he said. "But it brought the session to a conclusion."

Sen. Bob Stenehjem, R-Bismarck, the Senate majority leader, said lawmakers could have recessed until December 2004, when they have their next organizational session. A recess would have given legislators the option of returning again before the 2005 session.

"We didn't, but we certainly thought about it," Stenehjem said.

Hoeven called the special session after he vetoed spending bills on information technology, corrections and education. In all, Hoeven vetoed four measures and parts of two others.

Much of the session's attention was directed at a school spending bill that sets out the rules for distributing $546.7 million to local schools during the 2003-05 budget period. The new budget cycle begins July 1.

Legislators were paid their usual $125 daily salary only for the three days they worked and a fourth day for traveling back home.

Normally, they are paid for every day the Legislature is session, whether it is a regular, special or organizational session.