This years legislative session ending (or nonending) barely cracks my top five. My favorite was one of the Easley years (somewhere 2003-2008 as 01 and 02 were ridiculous in different ways). The Senate in a fit of wishful thinking sent the House an adjournment resolution even though it was still trying to get the House to pass some of its bills. The House had gotten all it wanted out of the session, and immediately passed the adjournment resolution. The Senate realized they had made a mistake, The House ordered it enrolled, and I went to the Senate podium to get the adjournment resolution ratified (signed) by Lt Governor Perdue. (I used to do that the last two days of session as the enrolling clerk who usually did that was busy with mountains of end-of-session work) President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight came up and asked me politely to leave and not have it signed. Perdue asked what to do. I told her that her signature merely certified that the document being presented to her was in fact a true copy of what the legislature had passed. She asked if she could delay (as Basnight requested). I told her that she could wait and compare the resolution as it passed the House with the ratified copy and I would come back the next day. I came back the next day to the Senate (the House was puzzled then angry) and Basnight got in my face and LOUDLY asked WHY I had come back with the resolution to be signed. I told him it was my job. He then ordered me again to leave. Finally on day three Perdue asked what to do. I read to her from an 1890 or so State Supreme Court case on point, where the court held that wilful refusal to sign a true copy was an impeachable offense for the Lt. Governor, and if the Speaker refused to sign The House may elect a new Speaker who will sign it.. Perdue immediately signed. So it was three days to get it ratified while the Senate was busy twisting the Houses arms to get more bills passed.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 21:43:25 +0000
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