Watch out, Missouri freshman senators
JEFFERSON CITY — If this were college, they would call it hazing.
Somehow, the freshman senators seem to have a bit more trouble than others getting things done around here. And former representatives aren’t exempt.
Today, Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, watched as many of her fellow senators voted no on a consent bill. Consent bills are supposed to be too noncontroversial to discuss at length. But then, her fellow senators took back their no votes and passed the bill unanimously.
Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, seems to be getting the worst of it. Twice he’s been called out by other Senators — once by way of a gavel — for walking down the center aisle during debate, a Senate no-no.
During the controversial debate about the jobs bill, Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, insisted that Pearce look at the Senate President when addressing Crowell, even though Pearce’s desk is in front of Crowell’s. So Pearce wasn’t allowed to look at Crowell while responding to Crowell’s attacks.
In fact, just now, Crowell did this to Pearce again during a debate about the University of Missouri Board of Curators.
Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, experienced something similar during a floor debate on one of his bills.
The other senators are citing the Senate rules, which state:
When a senator is about to speak, he or she should rise respectfully and address himself or herself to the chair, standing at his or her seat, and wait until his or her name or designation is announced, when he or she shall proceed, addressing himself or herself always to the chair.
Somehow, though, they are less stringent about enforcing this with everyone else, or maybe the veterans don’t transgress as much.
dont understand Jane’s role in this post; or significance of consent bill votes; maybe it’s me.