Update! – The Democrats claim they needed the Monday Caucus so that both sides could give their views on the Casino Bill, and that this was a legitimate purpose for which they could exact a mileage reimbursement on a Monday, but Wednesday morning of the same week, before the session and vote on the Casino Bill, the Democrats held a caucus at which they discussed…. the Casino bill. Democrat Governor Maggie Hassan even came to that Caucus to make her final pitch for the legislation.
Original post Follows…
From the Concord Fish Wrapper…
“Please remember that mileage reimbursement will only be paid for travel on Mondays and Fridays for statutory committees which meet on those days,” Norelli wrote in the April 26 edition of the House Calendar.
But this Monday, House Democrats held a closed-door caucus that didn’t appear in last week’s calendar. Norelli’s spokesman, Mario Piscatella, said the caucus was held to discuss the casino bill, with members on both sides of the issue presenting their views followed by a discussion.
That doesn’t sound like a statutory committee. And yet 78 Democrats–the attendees of the “Caw!-cus” –all requested mileage reimbursement.