Behind the Headlines

By Stephanie Ariganello;
stephaniea@monroenews.com

State of the State by the numbers
Local legislators met with: 3 out of 3
Prayers said in the House of Representative Chambers: 2 (whatever happened to separation of church and state?)
Pledge of allegiances said: 2
Handshakes: 1.7 million (an approximate figure)
Legislators with “The Drudge Report” pulled up on their computer screens: 4
People fanning themselves with old school hand-held feather fans: 1
Depictions of gilded stags: 4
Times I wished I had a breath mint: 16
Standing ovations: 1,265 (really it was more like 32, but come on…)
Legislators that made a joke to the affect of “I stay out of politics”: 3, at least these are all I could hear. I imagine this plays out all over the floor (not made by any of our locals).
Overheard jokes about drunk driving: 6 (not made by any of our locals)
Times it felt like a weird rock concert: 4
Times I felt emotional surge in response to speech: 1 - when Granholm had the servicewoman who lost her leg stand up and the whole crowd erupted in long-lasting applause and hooting (Damn them and their research on emotional responses).