Mo. lawmakers dismissed to prepare for winter storm
From Missouri Digital News: https://mdn.org
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

MDN.ORG Mo. Digital News Missouri Digital News MDN.ORG: Mo. Digital News MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
Lobbyist Money Help  

Mo. lawmakers dismissed to prepare for winter storm

Date: February 20, 2013
By: Christine Roto
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: 
Self-enclosed
RunTime:  0:35
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: At the state Capitol, I'm Christine Roto.

By mid-afternoon Wednesday, most lawmakers cleared out of the building.

A few committee meetings still met in the afternoon, but everything for the rest of the week cancelled.

House Speaker Tim Jones made the decision to send representatives home.  

In 2011, a winter storm left lawmakers stranded at the state Capitol.

Republican St. Joseph Representative Delus Johnson says he was glad the Speaker made the decision.

Actuality:  DJ01.WAV
Run Time:  00:04
Description: "We're leaving. We've been through this before, and we kind of want to prevent what happened in 2011 during February."

Business as usual will resume Monday.

At the state Capitol, I'm Christine Roto.

Intro: 
Self-Enclosed
RunTime:  0:34
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: At the state Capitol, I'm Christine Roto where lawmakers left early afternoon in an effort to beat the winter storm.

Lawmakers left early to get home and prepare for the winter storm.

Actuality:  DJ02.WAV
Run Time:  00:08
Description: "What we saw happen here two years ago, we had 18 and a half inches of snow, shut the capitol down, had people in a mess everywhere, so we're definitely shutting down early."

St. Joseph Representative Delus Johnson says representatives who live far away, it is important to leave early.

Another representative says he thinks it is necessary to leave because of the ice rather than the snow.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Christine Roto.

Intro: 
Lawmakers at the Missouri Capitol headed home early to beat the expected winter storm.
RunTime:  0:33
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Lawmakers didn't show any frsutraion after House and Senate leadership made the decision to cancel activities for Wednesday afternoon and for the rest of the week. 

The decision came just two years after a storm that dumped nearly 18 inches of snow and left lawmakers stranded at the Capitol.

Democratic Representative Ben Harris says the decision is a good idea.

Actuality:  BH01.WAV
Run Time:  00:05
Description: "There's 163 state reps from all over the state and some of them have a pretty far, long ways to go."

Most of the lawmakers cleared out of the building by mid-afternoon.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Christine Roto.