At the Statehouse Monday, the New Hampshire House failed by only four votes to override Governor Benson?s budget veto. But 25 legislators did not vote on what is arguably one of the most important votes this year. NHPR?s Raquel Maria Dillon tried to find out why.
First of all, if these 25 legislators weren?t available to vote Monday, chances are we weren?t going to be able to track them down and get them on the phone, to get an explanation.
But it seems many of these legislators had very good reasons for missing the vote ? family emergencies or serious illness.
But a few are on vacation from their day jobs, so we can presume that they took the day off from the Legislature as well. Apparently, they thought the budget battle would be wrapped up in time to escape. The fiscal year ended on Monday but the budget may not be finalized until the end of September.
Other lawmakers had to work. Rochester Republican Al Bemis works at the Ford dealership in Exeter.
BEMIS :12 Last day of the month I couldn?t get out of it. I told the speaker of the House that Mondays would definitely be out. He said do the best you can, if you can?t do it your job comes first.
Bemis says his constituents understand. He would have supported the Governor?s veto, but his vote wouldn?t have mattered.
We reached Manchester Republican Jeffery Sullivan at work too.
SULLIVAN :07 I?m out in the middle of South Manchester, walking, reading meters. You just happened to catch me on my cell phone.
Sullivan is spending his summer as a fill-in meter reader for Public Service of New Hampshire. During the school year he attends the University of New Hampshire and represents District 56.
He says by the time he found out about the Governor?s veto, he couldn?t get the day off to come up to Concord and vote to sustain it.
SULLIVAN :14 I really wanted to go up yesterday. I really? I talked to a bunch of people and felt that it?s really one of those things that I should?ve been at but at the same time the only reason I didn?t go is that I need money and that?s pretty much all there is to it.
Sullivan says there are some drawbacks to having a citizen legislature. He wouldn?t mind getting paid more for representing his district, that way he wouldn?t have to juggle his legislative commitments with school and work.
SULLIVAN :10 one of the good things about a citizen legislature is that we have all walks of life up there. But money issue is a factor when it comes to how much you can miss from work.
We couldn?t reach any of the seven Democrats who were absent yesterday. Two were on vacation, one had a family emergency.
Milan Republican Dave Woodward would have voted to override the Governor?s veto, if he could have gotten out of a mandatory staff meeting at his office.
WOODWARD :08 My job comes first. Vacation wouldn?t have been an excuse. I guess it depends where you are on vacation.
But that?s only three votes. That leaves 22 others unaccounted for.
We found Warren Republican Robert Guida (GEY-da) in Chicago?s O?Hare Airport, en route from Sacramento, California to Washington, DC. He?s an airline pilot so he knew months ago that he was scheduled to fly yesterday.
Guida says with such a large House, 26 missing votes is normal.
And he adds that House leaders could advise lawmakers to schedule vacations until well after the end of the fiscal year, but they probably won?t listen
GUIDA :20 I?ve often said and I stick by this because every time I see a close vote it bears it out again. That no one can control the legislature, but what one might be able to do underscore is to influence it, or suggest, or persuade. But I can assure you that no one controls legislature and legislative outcome in the process.
For NHPR News, I?m RMD.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo