A state Senators trip to the lounge for a snack ended with him being tallied as voting with the Democrats.
Around noon, Sen. Frank Padavan (NY-R) walked through the back of the Senate chamber to fetch some coffee from the senators’ lounge as 31 Democrats were convening a regular session. They contend that his brief appearance provided the 32 members needed for a quorum to conduct business and began passing bills. “My only motive was to get in the lounge and get a Coke or cup of coffee,” Padavan told Newsday. He ended up with a Coke, a V-8 and a tuna fish sandwich. Senate clerk Thomas Testo said he marked Padavan as present. Under Senate rules, a member marked present is assumed to have voted “yes” on all noncontroversial bills unless they say “no.” “We passed critical legislation that we expect the governor will sign,”
Newsday.com