A (republican) nuclear meltdown in the state Senate (MO)

[jpak]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/editorialcommentary/story/5CBCC215FEDB594886257592007E7F85?OpenDocument

The walls are made of marble, topped by 16 Ionic columns. The ceiling soars 50 feet above the floor. Everything about the Missouri Senate chamber reeks of dignity and statesmanship — everything except the people who sit in it.

The lack of decorum was on painful display Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning as lawmakers debated a deeply flawed utility bill that would benefit investor-owned electric companies at the expense of consumers.

For more than 10 hours, they postured, pouted and personally attacked one another. In the end, the so-called CWIP bill was removed, unfortunately only temporarily, from consideration.

Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, urged key players to meet privately to resolve their differences.

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:D