Senators have gone home for the day before debating a measure voicing their collective concern about the Air Force decision on the $35 billion air tanker contract.
I had a chance in mid-afternoon to ask Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, if it was going to happen today as staff members predicted in e-mails to reporters.
She said no because there wasn’t enough time today as senators wanted to get through a number of pieces of legislation, including the supplemental transportation budget.
She assured me there were no hang ups with language in House Joint Memorial 4034 that the House of Representatives passed Friday. I know a clause in the original bill citing economic problems of the last seven years did come out when Republicans said it was a slam on President Bush
She didn’t say there is any concern with the content of the nearly identical Senate Joint Memorial 8033 authored by Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds.
SJM 8033 left out references to economic woes. Like the House version, it does argue the makers of Airbus are ill-equipped to make the air tanker and implies the company’s home country, France, might let the U.S. down in an international crisis. But Brown didn’t say this caused enough heartburn to delay action.
The issue, she said, is a lot of people want to talk on the subject. She wants to give them time and time is something members will have lots of Wednesday and Thursday as the pace slows while each chamber await action by the other on a dwindling number of bills. That’s when it’ll come up, she said.
Sounds logical although it seems odd the state Senate did find time today to honor the Freemasons of Washington with a resolution, take group photos at the rostrum and adjourn a little after 4 p.m.
Just in time to get the party I saw going on at 5:30 p.m. in Sen. Brown’s office.
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