Today's Capitol Blogging

Arrived at the Senate about 10:40. One of the security guards was in a playful mood. After I stood in a different place than I usually do he pointed to my usual spot and said, "your assigned location is over there." He and others have really been quite helpful and friendly over the years doing things like shagging away the rare, aggressive bigot and steering me into a really visible location.

Once last year, however, there was this older one that sidled up to me and grumbled, "that's a terrible sign," referring to the They Legislate Hate In Our State sign. I told him "what they're (the legislators pictured in the sign) doing is terrible." He really didn't have any business making such a comment while on duty and of course he knew that or he wouldn't have said it in such a hushed tone.

Anyway, I finished up at the Senate at 11:00 and then made my way over to the House after taking a break to leaf through the legislative directory. I like to try to put names to faces and there are a lot of new faces this year. I took my place at 11:35 and left when they closed the doors at noon. I try to be gone before the invocation starts because it is just plain wrong for the government to engage in religious rituals and it's just awful to hear it happening.

You don't have religious freedom in a state or country where the lawmaking body begins it's work by officially engaging in a favored religion's rituals.