Republican lawmakers, still stung by the Florida Supreme Court’s rebuke of three constitutional amendments, continued on Wednesday a long-running accusation that the court crafts state policy, usurping the Legislature’s policymaking role.

On the last day of session, the House tackled a health-care measure passed by the Senate which included an amendment requiring that most pregnant women considering an abortion have an ultrasound in the first trimester. The House passed the amendment 72-46, almost mirroring party lines.

Both pro-life and pro-choice advocates maintain that ultrasounds are one of the chief reasons that abortions are on the decline in Florida, with 2009 seeing the lowest number of abortions since 1997.

With more than 70 bills on the calendar when it convened, the House kicked off the last week of the legislative session by meeting all day Monday and focused on redistricting measures that Floridians will vote on in November.

The House voted to add a new constitutional amendment measure on redistricting, joining two other measures already on the ballot. Introduced by Rep. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, the amendment would have the state follow existing federal guidelines when creating new congressional and legislative districts. The measure passed on a 74-42 vote.

Spurred by leaders of both houses of the Legislature, the House passed measures Wednesday calling for the federal government to balance its budget.

Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, opened the session by calling for a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. To that end, Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach, sponsored a measure calling for a constitutional convention to amend the U.S Constitution. The measure passed 70 to 42.