Live blogging today's session of the AZ Senate...
5:00 - As you can tell, I gave it up. Nothing was happening re: the budget. Steve Pierce was selected at temporary Republican Whip. Speculation on my part: They needed the votes of a majority of the caucus to elect a new Whip, and only about 75% of the Rep caucus showed up. Pierce was probably a bit of a compromise for the duration of the special session. They'll probably pick a new Whip for the beginning of the next session in January.
The Senate is scheduled to reconvene on Friday at 1.
1:37 -The Senate Republican caucus meeting is closed. They are picking a new Whip. My guesses: If Burns gets his way, Steve Pierce or John Huppenthal; if the really hardcore members get their way, Jack Harper or Ron Gould.
1:29 - No Democratic caucus. Nobody expects much to happen today...
1:20 - Recessing to go into caucuses...
1:19 - Got bored, surfed over to AZCentral.com, and read how Sen. Pam Gorman has resigned at GOP Whip in the Senate.
1:18 - Huppenthal is still going on....
1:16 - Huppenthal is going on about how proud he is of MVD.
1:14 - Cheuvront is countering.
1:10 - Harper is rationalizing his scheme to lay off 5% of state employees. One of his arguments? Some of the positions are empty already.
1:08 Holy cow! They have a quorum! OK, they have 20; enough to legally conduct business, but not enough, in practical terms, to actually, ya know, *pass* anything...
1:05 - More Sens showing up. gavelled into order
1:02 - Approximately 50 folks in the gallery....the least the Senators could do for them is make an appearance, and never let it be said that this Senate didn't do the least it could do...
1:00 - activity on the Senate floor, but few actual senators...Pierce, Miranda, Melvin, Harper wandering around
3 comments:
Mother[beep]!
I'm beyond done with this ass backwards sideshow. DONE! Drag your feet all you want Burns, this budget is going to smell any better no matter how much Jean Nate you add.
The majority party should be ashamed of itself. It's pants have been pulled down to the ankles for some time, and their posterior has long been exposed. The people of AZ can see plainly that these yahoos are up there promoting an agenda that is NOT about Arizona and/or Arizonans. It's about corporate and Washington special interest groups.
I may have to march my fanny to on up the Friday. Now if I can only remember where I left my pitchfork....
meant to write "ISN'T" going to smell any better...damn rage writing typos!
Jen - Just remember to call ahead before driving to Phoenix. The plan for a Friday session may yet fall through.
As for the Reps, like you (and many others), I'm most disgusted with their utter lack of regard for the state and their constituents.
It'd be one thing if they truly were *trying* to do right by AZ, and we were disagreeing on how best to accomplish that (politics is all about disagreements and working through them), but their unswerving loyalty to Grover Norquist?
Enough already.
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