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Richard Piatt ReportingIf the bomb threat today was intended to stop the Legislature, it failed. In fact they're going late tonight to make up for the lost time.
Lawmakers, lobbyists and legislative staff went straight back to work. Both the House and Senate went back on the floor immediately with some worried about the time lost.
Rep. Steve Mascaro, (R) Salt Lake City: "We're all thinking about how we're all going to get it done on a normal day, let alone having something like this set us back."
Rep. Ralph Becker, (D) Salt Lake City: "Certainly we can take two hours to respond in an emergency. But we've been really behind schedule anyway, bills have been moving really slowly."
Donna Gleaves, Lobbyist: "Who knows when those opportunities will come up to look at those bills again."
And it would be easy to get behind, especially when serious budget questions remain unanswered. Time is running out to debate defining marriage and asset forfeiture--two hot topics on the House and Senate floors today.
The Governor says she remained productive today, continuing her meeting with top-level Democrats in her safe, secret location.
Gov. Olene Walker: "We probably had sufficient time, so that we don't have to meet again for at least another week."
And late today, Legislative leadership announced late committee meetings tonight, a way to make up time and send a message to other would-be bomb threats.
Rep. Marty Stephens, House Speaker: "The government of the state of Utah will go on. We will not be cowed or intimidated by anonymous phone calls."
Two updates on news of the day: The House has passed the Definition of Marriage bill, and the Asset Forfeiture bill passed the Senate.
