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[Vector]

No clue.


By the way, Vactor, thanks for the coverage--and sorry for the derail.  It's really awesome to get to hear about these sorts of things straight from the source.

[Vactor]

So not much new has happened, the Senate was unable to act due to the lack of quorum, but they have started slating up bills that they want to pass in the absence of the quorum busters, this included an executive session on a voter ID bill, in which the chair of the committee refused to allow a Senator who had called in to the committeee (a common practice when not in the capitol) to ask questions or vote, even though she allowed him to answer the roll call, and had been recorded as present.

The protest continues, and the Assembly is on the floor now with at least 200 amendments before them.

Indiana legislators, finding themselves in the same situation have fled their state as well.

The Daily Show picked up coverage of the situation, and I happened to be in a clip they used from one of the local news affilates:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

If you watch the episode from last night (feb 21) its about 4 1/2 minutes in.

[Sowelu]

Wow, awesome.

[Nadaka]

I am left a little speechless by that last update. Its sad to hear first hand that the republicans really are willing to break the rules to get their way rather than just playing dirty tricks within the rules.

[Vactor]

I am left a little speechless by that last update. Its sad to hear first hand that the republicans really are willing to break the rules to get their way rather than just playing dirty tricks within the rules.

Committees are a bit different than floor sessions, as they are run at the discretion of the chairperson.  The manner they are run are based mostly on tradition and legislative courtesy.  A chair can run their committee in whatever way they see fit, and can elect to not entertain motions or amendments, or to recommend a bill without the committee voting at it at all (i think).  Committees are created by the legislature to look into a particular issue on behalf of the entire body, and its execution is entrusted to the chair.

While she didn't break a rule, she did break with precedent.  I do think that today we lost a little bit of what makes our Senate special.

[Heliman]

Additional Drama unfolded in the Assembly this evening:

http://www.wiseye.org/Programming/VideoArchive/EventDetail.aspx?evhdid=3759

I would recommend watching "Assembly Floor Session (Part 4)"  If you think the first part is dramatic, once they stand informal skip ahead until about 14:30 when they return to order.

Wow, I'm impressed by Hintz. That speech of his could singe the hair off eyebrows.

[Flaede]

I was telling someone today how eclectic the DF forum is, and how we often get pretty thoughtful threads going.

...then I went looking for this thread. Not that I had seen it before or anything, I just knew it had to exits.
Thank you for the "on the ground" posts.

[Heron TSG]

Wow, I've been reading the news about this and I must say, the Democratic party as a whole is my hero right now. They're fighting for the rights of the people, even against nigh-unstoppable opposition. It's really dramatic to watch.

[Nadaka]

Things are not going well on this front. The republicans launched a sneak attack and got it through assembly. The only thing stopping them now is the democrats in absentia, and they have mobilized the state troopers to find them.

I don't know the specific language of the bill, but is it possible that the courts could find it unconstitutional? Of course that would take years or decades.

[Taricus]

Nice to see some politicians doing their job, keep at it Democrats 

[GlyphGryph]

Do note that one this sort of thing has been going on for a long time.

I believe it was Abraham Lincoln who jumped out a second story window and attempted to flee the estate in an attempt to avoid quorum?

[alway]

Yep. http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2011/02/as-a-state-legislator-lincoln-tried-to-play-the-run-away-game-too.html

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

With the Whigs absent, there would be no quorum.  The Democratic Speaker sent the sergeant at arms into the streets and saloons of Springfield to round up any nearby Whig legislators, while Lincoln and two comrades sat  in the back of the room making sure that their strategy was working.

 Whatever satisfaction they felt at having pulled off their parliamentary trick evaporated when the Speaker recognized them as present and announced that a quorum had been met.

Lincoln and his fellow Whig enforcers quickly tried to leave, and, finding the chamber doors locked, resorted to climbing out of a window and dropping to the ground. Their self-defenestration was in vain, however, as the motion to adjourn passed, with the predicted consequences for the state bank. Lincoln was afterward embarrassed by what he had done and did not speak of it.

[lumin]

Do note that one this sort of thing has been going on for a long time.

I believe it was Abraham Lincoln who jumped out a second story window and attempted to flee the estate in an attempt to avoid quorum?

Wait, the "Progessive" party is copying a guy's actions who lived over a hundred years ago?  Huh...

[Nadaka]

Do note that one this sort of thing has been going on for a long time.

I believe it was Abraham Lincoln who jumped out a second story window and attempted to flee the estate in an attempt to avoid quorum?

Wait, the "Progessive" party is copying a guy's actions who lived over a hundred years ago?  Huh...

Its that or allow the regressives to steamroll over them with dirty tricks, bible thumpin' and appeals to irrationalism on the road to eliminate the middle class and return to the glorious days of master and serf.

[Vactor]

I finally got some time away from work again, this week has been pretty non-stop for me, though not much actually happened on the Senate floor.

Things are not going well on this front. The republicans launched a sneak attack and got it through assembly. The only thing stopping them now is the democrats in absentia, and they have mobilized the state troopers to find them.

I don't know the specific language of the bill, but is it possible that the courts could find it unconstitutional? Of course that would take years or decades.

On the first point, the press has overstated the efforts underway to retrieve the missing Senators.  Members of our staff are the ones visiting the homes, escorted by state troopers to avoid jurisdictional issues.  The only effort is to see if they are home, and if they are, to tell them that there is a call of the house, and ask if they are willing to return to the Senate.  This was done once (and in a single instance twice) to just a handful of Senators' homes, the state patrol is not actively searching for them.  The Senate seems to feel that it does not have the authority to forcibly return Senators to the Capitol, and is at this point simply trying to contact the missing Senators.  It will be left up to them when to return.

There has been talk of closing the building to protesters overnight, but today the police union sent a letter to the governor requesting the building be left open, and called upon its members to join in the protest, including the sleep-in.  They also retracted their endorsement of Governor Walker.