On a Lighter Note

On the last day for bills to pass out of the House, a prominent legislative leader, wrapped up in tense negotiations, accidentally voted against the phosphorous bill.

He immediately called for a revote, which is quite unusal, and corrected his mistake. Two weeks later, when the bill came back for amendments, that same legislator was again distracted by negotiations, and… Yet another revote was necessary!

While the Senate was at lunch, Senator Lisa Brown and the Sierra Club placed individually-wrapped phosphate free dishwasher tablets, which look like supersized breath mints, at each Senator’s desk. When the Senate reconvened, Floor Leader Tracey Eide stood up to warn that these were not candy -- "Please don't try to eat them" -- and he gave instructions as to their proper use in the automatic dishwasher.

A Republican from Southwestern Washington then stood up and complained that Senator Eide’s instructions came a little too late. He’d arrived back at his desk early and, thinking that someone had left him an after-dinner-mint, he took a bite and nearly broke a tooth.

A Republican from Eastern Washington, known for his quick wit, stood up and said, "That, ladies and gentlemen, is why we are in the minority." Democrats currently hold a 26-23 majority in the Senate.