It all too often happens: Often legislation “has the votes” but some legislators slip away as the day grows longer to attend anything ranging from a cocktail happy hour to a family event. So it was last Friday with Senate Resolution 675– a constitutional amendment designating English as the official language of government operations. Senators Bill Jackson, P.K. Martin, Charlie Bethel and Bruce Thompson– all reliable votes— were nowhere to be found when it came calendar time for the amendment to be called for a floor vote.
S.R. 675 had already passed the Rules Committee headed by sympathetic Chairman Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga. But sponsoring Sen. Josh McKoon pulled it since it was just shy of the two-thirds vote needed to pass a constitutional amendment. It will return for a floor vote again later today, and backers hope enough senators stay to see it passed.
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