Oil taxes, energy bills and gas pipelines may hog the headlines coming out of the state's capitol this year, but lawmakers have a number of other proposals on the table.

Monday marked the 28th day of the 90-day legislative session, so the clock is ticking. But the stack of bills up for consideration will probably grow yet some more. The deadline for lawmakers to file bills they personally sponsor is Feb. 22 -- which typically draws an avalanche of new filings. After that, committees can still sponsor bills, but individuals cannot.

By the midway mark in early March, state politics watchers say there's a solid feel for which bills will sail on, and which will sink. A lot of that depends on how many committees each plan has to pass through, and whether the chairmen of those committees want to put wind in the bill's sails or, as a political maneuver or for other reasons, stall.

Some of the bills in play seem a little off-the-wall, but they're important to some constituents. Others could have direct impacts on the lives of ordinary Alaskans, and right away:

-- Two lawmakers have bills that would ban cell phone use under certain conditions. Rep. Mike Doogan, D-Anchorage, launched a proposal this session that would ban cell phone use by all drivers. Rep. Berta Gardner, D-Anchorage, filed a bill last year that would prevent teens from talking on their cells while behind the wheel. Neither plan seems to be picking up much support.

-- Rep. Charisse Millett, R-Anchorage, has a bill that would prevent landlords from discriminating against families with a certain number of children under age 18 in the house. That would bring the state's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act into line with the federal Housing and Urban Development department's ban on discriminating based on family status.

-- Do you cruise the trails of the 2,000-acre Goldstream Public Use Area near Fairbanks? Without action this year, the legislation that created the area in 1990 expires. Sen. Joe Thomas, D-Fairbanks, has a proposal to make the state lands area a permanent asset for Interior folks.

-- Alaskans who like to spend time Outside on a regular basis -- but still want to exercise their civic duty - may like a proposal by Rep. Bob Buch, D-Anchorage. He wants to make registration easier for absentee voters. House Bill 115 would let voters sign up for permanent absentee status, without having to fill out new forms every two years.

-- Winter accidents can be deadly on Alaska's remote highways. Rep. John Harris, R-Valdez, filed House Bill 322, which would require winter tires for any Alaska vehicles cruising state highways between Dec. 15 and March 15.

-- Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River, wants to impose a civil penalty on people who fail to report child abuse or neglect. Such people are already at risk of a misdemeanor within the criminal code. Under Senate Bill 198, they could also be held responsible financially for damages related to their failure to notify authorities.