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Senate recesses until 3 p.m., delaying planned education debate
Summary
The Senate’s presiding officer recessed the chamber until 3 p.m., citing the governor’s travel and the absence of a presiding official able to vote; the education debate was postponed until the session resumes.
The Senate’s presiding officer recessed the chamber until 3 p.m. and asked senators to return at that time, delaying a scheduled debate on education.
The move came, the presiding officer said, because “the governor has been traveling outside the state's boundaries,” which left the presiding officer “in the podium unable to vote.” The presiding officer added that lawmakers had hoped the lieutenant governor, John Rogers, would be available to preside but “that's not gonna be possible until 3.”
The presiding officer also noted the chamber’s advancing adjournment time, saying, “As senators know, closer we get to adjournment, the more stop and start we do.” After making those remarks the presiding officer announced, “I will gavel us out until 3,” and recessed the session.
Discussion: Senators and staff cited the governor’s travel and the need for a presiding officer who can cast votes as the reason for pausing the session. Direction: senators were asked to return at 3 p.m. Decision: the chamber was recessed until 3 p.m.; a formal motion to recess was made though the transcript does not record a mover, seconder, or roll-call vote.
The presiding officer said the pause was intended to allow the lieutenant governor or the governor to be available to preside so voting could proceed. The planned education debate was expected to begin when the Senate reconvened at 3 p.m., according to the presiding officer’s remarks.
No dates, vote tallies, or additional procedural motions were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.
