Lilly Ann Brown –
I went into this year’s Lobbyist Luncheon excited for a free meal and an opportunity to understand a little more about what’s been going on with Governor Markwei’s veto. I did not expect a hot budget debate, an anonymous first-hand account of what happened today in the White Senate, and a fun ASMR session with Lobbyists Grace Harris and Drew Hogan.
Today, I attended the Lobbyist Luncheon in Hartmann Gallery on February 26th at 12:45. At the time, the conference was progressing pretty amiably, and I was preparing for some light conversation about the Lobbyist endorsed bills this year has seen develop. I’ve been working with the Lobbyists a lot, but I was in no way prepared for the discussion that would occur.
The lunch began with a lovely speech from Head Lobbyist, Cade Miller. Cade commended the work of our delegation and our lobby this year, making special mention of Phoenix Caruthers, Simon Lewis, and Preston Selby, three delegates who have changed their bills with the help of the Lobbyists this year. Miller was excellent, but after his speech, the conversation progressed from an appreciation of what has been done, to a focused discussion of what’s to come.
A few things I learned while eating are that before the White Senate adjourned for lunch, they entertained the motion to override Markwei’s veto. According to the rules and procedure the officers followed, the message sent with the veto must be read to the delegation. However, Governer Markwei did not initially send the veto message with the veto, so without the message to read, it became a sticky situation. Currently, we know that Markwei’s veto stands, but at the time it was very interesting to hear the origin of this controversy.
Interestingly, the veto was not the only part of Gov. Markwei’s agenda being discussed at the Luncheon. Rep. Cherry and other anonymous delegates are still concerned with the state of this year’s budget, and as we approach the culmination of these concerns, the debate is only getting more heated. In a previous interview, Rep. Cherry stood firm, stating, “Govcab and Governer Markwei have too much power with the budget this year because of incomprehensible fiscal lines and vague bill writing.” The discussion was not very affirmative of the budget, and it seems that Red Senate and House members see too many inequities and failures in the budget to let it stand easily.
In the midst of all this business talk, some hard-working Lobbyists have made time for fun. Drew Hogan and Grace Harris of Central Magnet gave me quite the ASMR show, and Gubernatorial Candidate Will Severn showed out in some beautiful Ruth Bader Ginsburg Socks. Lunch is always a great time to catch up with what’s been happening and let loose, but this afternoon’s discussion was too interesting to keep to myself. The Lobbyist Luncheon was an incredible insight into what’s been happening this year concerning the Lobby, Gov. Markwei, and, of course, foot fashion.
Department of Public Information 