Legislators grouse over cancellations

AUGUSTA – As numerous meetings and events scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday were canceled or postponed on Tuesday because of the pending snowstorm, some state senators started to mutter under their breath that the Legislature isn’t what it used to be.

By late afternoon, all legislative committees that had scheduled public hearings, confirmation hearings or work sessions sent out notices they would not be meeting Wednesday.

Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, said he just doesn’t understand why events and meetings were being canceled before any snow had fallen anywhere in the state.

“I just can’t let this get by without making a comment,” he said. “What amazes me is that the weather announcers have been wrong all year and here we are believing that they are going to be accurate tomorrow.”

Sen. Karl Turner, R-Cumberland, countered that “senators from southern Maine take great offense to the suggestion by northern Maine senators that we would not want to be in committee tomorrow. We are fully prepared to execute our duties as required by Maine’s Constitution.”

Others made comments quietly, but ended up having them repeated aloud by others. Sen. Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro, said Sen. Joe Brannigan, D-Portland, took exception to Turner’s comments.

“When the senator from Cumberland, Senator Turner, said he would be here to do his constitutional duty, Senator Brannigan said, ‘Speak for yourself,'” Mitchell said.