Watching government work is interesting

By Greg Little, Managing Editor, The Covington Leader Online
February 22, 2005

As you look at the front page of today’s newspaper, you’ll notice a couple of stories which originate from the Tennessee Senate in Nashville.

That’s because I was in Nashville for three days last week and spent some time with Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville.

Part of that time was spent on Thursday morning when Norris and his able advisor, Liz Alvey, invited myself and Jay Albrecht, Leader publisher, to sit in on a session of the Senate.

Because it was the last day to file bills in Nashville, the docket was pretty light because nothing with “teeth” has yet to come to the Senate floor. All of the bills are somewhere in the depths of the committees of the House and Senate.

But the experience on the Senate floor was unforgettable.

I think many of us have this picture of a structured environment where you can hear a pin drop. Well, that’s just not the case. I’m not sure we could have heard an anvil drop if our lives had depended on it.

Members, I’m presuming because it was a light docket, were busy lobbying each other about pending legislation and various other issues they will be facing in the next few weeks. Lt. Gov. John Wilder of Somerville was having a tough time getting some of the members to listen to the motions which were on the floor.

Of course it was also interesting to see Sen. John Ford of Memphis. He’s been making headlines lately, and they aren’t the best, for him, anyway. Also interesting to see was Sen. Steve Cohen of Memphis, who seems to make headlines every year, whether it’s with lottery or marijuana legislation.

In fact, Cohen voted “no” on a resolution introduced by Norris that simply asks federal officials to consider the highway bill so progress toward I-69 can be made in the near future. Last time I checked, it appears to me I-69 would greatly benefit Memphis, but I’m certainly no expert.

That resolution was about the biggest thing which happened in the brief session last Thursday.

Most of the other pieces of legislation were honoring people in Tennessee.

But it was still fascinating.

One of the most interesting parts was milling around the outside of the chambers prior to and after the session. This is where members interact and it includes those in the House, whose chambers are not far from those of the Senate.

Many familiar faces can be seen in the hallways as deals are being made and suggestions being given on a plethora of issues faced by Tennessee. No doubt the TennCare situation was one of the topics of discussion during some of these conversations.

All in all, it was a great experience and I can’t thank Sen. Norris enough for giving me the opportunity to set in on the Senate session as well as making me aware of a committee hearing the day before in which the topic of sewage sludge was discussed.

I’ve certainly gotten an education on sludge and realize it is not a “sexy” issue, however, some of the senators at the hearing later said they learned a lot about the matter. Many said they had only wondered what happens to the leftover waste from the sewage plants.

It was a great education for them, and for me, to see how issues are discussed and just how elected officials get interested in various topics which come up around the state. It’s not as cut and dried as you might think.

I look forward to a return trip to watch government in action. It’s like nothing else.