By Journalist Kendall Boudreau (OSU)
The first few days of session are at the India Shrine Center for the legislative chambers. The Senate is located upstairs and the House of Representatives resides downstairs. However, it was not originally set up this way. Our Governor, Nathan Barnett, and the NSU delegation chair, Morgan Harlan, arrived at the venue before noon on Wednesday of session. The House of Representatives was supposed to be located upstairs, but the venue informed our Governor that we would not be allowed to have tables on the dance floor. This posed as a serious problem because the large wood floor takes up more than half of the room, and the room was not set up for session as it was supposed to be.
Would there be enough room for everyone to attend joint session? The President Pro Tempore, Jonathan Curtis, and the Deputy, Kale Parker, arrive at the venue shortly after to assist the Governor in the chambers situation. Shortly after that, I arrive at the venue. We decided that logistically, the House of Representatives should be moved to the downstairs area and the Senate should go upstairs.
We quickly get to work setting up the dias, the tables and chairs for the body, and an area for caucusing. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor, Canyon McGee, was sent on a mission to pick up our Secretary of State, Kristen Martin, and the Speaker of the House, Ashley Schultz, from the side of the highway because they got a flat tire on the way to session! When delegates arrived at the hotel and then later at the India Shrine Center, they probably would not have guessed that these situations occurred due to the efficient and effective actions by our leadership team.
