Gonzo Lawmakers - Day 27

A daily recap of the Georgia Public Broadcasting show "Lawmakers". The show airs weekdays at 7:00pm with a replay at 5:30am the following weekday.

Day 27

* The budget is upon us. No, it can't be so. But it is, precious. Not listening, not listening.

* Still a week behind. The lonely trudge continues.

* Nwandi solo again.

* Teleprompter broke. Poor Nwandi. She's having to read the copy.

* Valarie at Hogwarts talking about the ban on texting bill. It passed the Senate. Sponsor Sen. Jack Murphy says it's all about keeping people from "texing" while driving. He's surrounded by young'uns and the parents of the young man who was killed when he was texting while driving. Teens would lose their license if caught.

* Teleprompter appears to be fixed.

* A Democrat got something passed! Sen. Emanuel Jones got the zero tolerance on weapons modified to have some common sense.

* A slow day on the House floor. The only hot spot was something about juvenille deliquents timed served. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Think Of The Children) is the sponsor.

* Just saw the back of Tom Baxter's head and he's on twitter! HAH!

* Scowling house clerks! The streak continues!

* There was so little going on this day they are covering technical rules. Porter is speaking and there's some Rep. behind him talking on the cell phone and giggling. Speaker Murphy would have never put up with such nonsense.

* We can get license plates with Pandas on them. Why don't we just let everyone design their own and get it over with.

* Something about water and local control. Highly technical again. Honestly, I don't see how they are producing a whole broadcast with this mush.

* More water. The hillbillies want to limit basin transfers. They don't want the city folk to suck all the water from Hazzard County. More technical garbage. They are actually arguing over whether it was sent to the proper sub-committee. BORING.

* House Transportation Committee passed their version of the TSPLOST but put in the part the Guv said he would veto. Can you say poison pill? I knew you could.

* It's a transportation segment so we must see a shot of the Downtown Connector.

* They aren't going to get the transportation bill passed. AGAIN.

* And it's not going to include MARTA. So, Dekalb and Fulton are screwed meaning they probably want support it. Could they make this monster any uglier?

* The Repubs announced a tax overhaul commission. This gives Chip Rogers another chance to talk about our tax system being based on an "agrarian economy". He makes some good points about how overly complicated the beast is.

* Democrats are agin it of course and Casey is calling them on it

* Dubose is pointing out that the Republicans are putting everything off until after 2012 which just happens to be during the term of the next Governor.

* Sen. Judson Hill got another version of his healthcare nightmare passed.

* Tape Machine Monster strikes again! God bless 'em, they've got serious gremlins in this episode.

* PROJECT TOM CRAWFORD! Lord GAWD, the striped shirt is back! Must have come up in the rotation in the closet. Tom's entire look is so gray, he's blending into the background. He's becoming Cheshire Cat-like, slowly disappearing until we only see his grin.

* Lawmakers Flashback! Tom Murphy and Earl Erhart are going to go at it. Awesome. THE TAPE MACHINE AT THE FLASHBACK! ARGH!

* Nwandi is having to fill. This episode is a disaster.

* The Senate honored Lawmakers on their anniversary. The House did this last week. The tape machine is threatening to eat this one too. The Beast must be fed!

* Nwandi says maybe they need some budget increases to fix the tape machiines! HAH!

* Nwandi is stretcccccching her words. Fill Nwandi! Fill!

* Ricky Bevington and her BOOK OF DOOM! And Ricky misses her camera cue. It's completely off the rails now. The economy is so bad even the lottery is short of funding. Jenkins Co. has an unemployment rate of 22%. My lord. This is certainly the way to end this doomed episode.

* Nwandi and Ricky are doing some back and forth to fill more time. I hope the tape machine doesn't eat Georgia Outdoors. They might have to put up an old fashioned "Please Standy" slide.

* The trainwreck is finally over. Thank the lord, that's a wrap.