GOP Senate Leadership Comes Up With New Small-Minded Plan: Fining Absent Legislators

Without a note from their mom, or a doctor, absent members can now be fined by Republican leader and Scold-in-Chief Scott Fitzgerald $100-a-day.

This small ball small-mindedness is aimed at the absent Democrats, but here's the facts:

Legislators are not required to go to the Capitol. There's no law that says they need to be there.

Attendance varies; most legislators show up regularly, and some have been known to drop in even when their house is in recess to collect a per diem, $88 tax-free expense payment.

Elections are when attendance is sorted out.

The State Senate right now is in the hands of amateurs.