The brother of a friend of mine is one of the few Democratic Senators in the Utah State Legislature, Senator Gene Davis (D-District 3). Today we went up to the Capitol and got to sit right on the Senate floor.
Here I am with the Senate in the background. The picture below shows the bench we sat on (that’s my friend on the bench.
It was a very interesting and informative couple of hours, watching them debate and vote on bills. At one point Sen. Davis called for a “personal privilege”, where he got to introduce to the entire Senate the two visitors he had there (me and his sister). I have to admit it was pretty cool having my name and occupation said out loud to the entire Senate. that’s him in the picture below.
There was a somewhat heated debate over a bill having to do with the unincorporated areas of Salt Lake County. It was fascinating watching two Senators go for each other’s throats in an incredibly civilized and respectful manner. And the political manipulations that led to the bill being shelved for another day, without an actual vote on the bill, were eye opening.
During the debate on another bill, Senator Howard Stephenson (R-District 11) questioned some lines in the bill. He went on for almost a minute before someone informed him that they had already been removed, and although he didn’t say it, he had that look on his face:
All in all, so far it was a great day. And I’m headed back up there this evening for a Pro-Education rally. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Oh, and here’s a picture of where the Senators wash their hands after they pee.
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