Petrowski's priorities

So what is this mysterious appointment that Rep. Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) supposedly had during the vote on the death penalty referendum? It must have been something very, very important for him to skip a vote since I don't think he skipped another vote all year.

He was there to vote on a bill that makes it legal to operate double decker buses on highways and for a bill to allow school buses to tow trailers. Are these two issues so important to the state that they deserved his time to vote on them more than the death penalty?

What's really odd is that a story in the Capital Times earlier this month even has members of his caucus saying he was counting up the votes on the measure.

Rep. Terri McCormick, R-Appleton, who opposes the death penalty and is opposing Gard in the 8th Congressional District race, also had some suspicions.

"As legislators we are each elected to represent over 56,000 individuals in voting on their behalf. The question surrounding how the vote was taken was not reflective of the gravity of the issue. Members were coming and going in the chambers and choosing just not to take a vote," McCormick said this morning.

"I thought individuals who were in the chambers had a responsibility
to vote. When we take head counts and manipulate who should stay and who should leave - if that happened, that's what I thought I saw. I saw Sheryl Albers walk into the speaker's office and then walk in after the vote. An awful lot of leaves were taken. I was looking for an honest vote on this very important issue. Is it just me that has their stomach turning this morning?"

She said that Petrowski was taking counts.

He cares enough about the issue to see if he can round up enough votes his way but then doesn't stick around for the actual vote?

Must have been some appointment.