Shea Andersen: At the Roundhouse

Popping the clutch on pre-K

The Senate almost, but not quite, got to the pre-K debate last night. Sen. Ben Altamirano said he was ready to do something "I haven't done in 35 years" and blast the bill out of the Senate Finance Committee.

Altamirano tried that at about 12 midnight, and upset enough Republicans that the debate fizzled. Sen. Dianna Duran, a major opponent of the plan, was out of town with a sick child. Without her, explained Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle, he was loathe to begin the debate.

This was as close as the Senate has come so far to actually getting testy in any real manner. Sen. Joe Carraro threatened a call of the Senate, and other tempers flared.

Eventually, it evaporated. Democrats, led by Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, agreed to wait until today. Pre-K is now going before the Senate Finance Committee. A floor vote could come this afternoon or evening.

And then, it got sorta goofy down there. With the buzz of pre-K off the agenda, the Senate slogged along. They were interrupted, briefly, by someone trying to toss an ice cream bar (it was Ag Day up here yesterday; free beef and ice cream for all my friends) up to someone in the gallery. The shot was short, and the ice cream bar ended up bouncing off the head and shoulders of Sen. Tim Jennings. "Hey!" I heard Jennings bark.

Thus was Lt. Gov. Diane Denish forced, for the first time I've seen it, to gavel down the gallery, which erupted in laughter.

More long hours tonight. Message from Sanchez this morning: "I'm very optimistic we'll get through the night"

Survival first. Ice cream later.

Posted by sandersen at March 18, 2005 10:50 AM