It's lawmaking time!

THERE'S NO EASY WAY TO DESCRIBE THE WAY STATE LAWS ARE MADE. People meet. They talk. A lot. Then they go into secret meetings. They talk more. They come out, only to go to more secret meetings. Everybody goes to lunch. More meetings. More talk. Finally, they emerge, vote on a solution, and go home.

Actually, that was a pretty easy description.

And in that spirit, here's a quick look ahead at some of the 64 elected officials and one governor -- in no particular order -- who will soon gather for the next (everybody hopes) 120 days.

Gov. Jim Gibbons: The untested governor has had a rough introduction to the process, and is going in to his first session with proposals that even he seems not to fully understand. What will happen when his budget meets the legislative buzzsaw will be one of the big stories of 2007. Whether he has to deploy his veto pen when he sees the results will be another.

Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley: She's an old hand, but in a new role, and people are watching to see how she'll handle one of the most powerful posts in state government. She's got her own agenda -- education, health care, consumer protections -- to worry about, too.

Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera: With Buckley in the speaker's role, Oceguera will take on more of the rhetorical and political battles. The North Las Vegas Fire Department battalion chief is used to extinguishing blazes; now he'll try his hand at setting some.

Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie: With fellow liberal Chris Giunchigliani now serving on the Clark County Commission, Leslie will be the standout advocate for causes like her signature issue, mental health care.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio: The longest-serving state lawmaker hasn't been wasting his time since getting elected in 1973 -- he's become a master of the process. Nobody makes deals better, or is more shrewd, than Raggio. How he works with Gibbons may be more interesting than how the Democrats do.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus: She may have lost the governor's race, but Titus (first elected in 1989) has learned a few things, too. People will watch to see how she strikes back at Gibbons and his agenda, and whether she can rebuild her political future at the same time.

State Sen. Bob Beers: With the Gibbons administration in lockdown mode, Beers will become the media's favorite Republican. He's witty, he's savvy and he's got his own ideas about the state budget, some that differ significantly from Gibbons' plans. For now, at least, Beers is playing the party loyalist.

State Sen. Warren Hardy: The Southern Nevada Republican wants to be majority leader someday.

State Sen. Steven Horsford: The Southern Nevada Democrat wants to be majority leader someday, too.

State Sen. Mark Amodei: He could have been attorney general if he'd wanted the job; he didn't. Why? Maybe we'll find out this session.

State Sen. Randolph Townsend: Term limits are coming, and Townsend's been talked about for higher office frequently.

Assemblyman Morse Arberry: He was on the short list to be appointed a Clark County Commissioner, but Gibbons chose somebody else. The job he still has, however, is chairman of the Ways & Means Committee, where the governor's budget goes for debate. Awkward.

Assembly Minority Leader Garn Mabey: Yes, he's only got 15 members. No, the Democrats don't need him to pass bills. But can he still manage to negotiate into relevance, both for himself (and a potential future U.S. Senate bid) and his party?

We'll know in the next 120 days.