by Clynt Ridgell, KUAM News Tuesday, September 27, 2005 Subscribe to Clynt's newsfeed   E-mail this article Printable version KUAM Toolbar Web Widgets Get RSS headlines

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With three days left in the current fiscal year, lawmakers are pressed for time to finish the Fiscal Year 2006 budget. After moving past funding for public safety, lawmakers began debating funding healthcare. Lawmakers last night were talking more than just numbers, but rather about each other.

Little did Speaker Mark Forbes (R) and Senator Ray Tenorio (R) know they're microphones were hot. They may have been in recess, but those who happened to be watching the Legislature channel last night had a lot to say this morning. According to those who happened to catch the conversation, like staffers for democrat senators who declined to be on-camera.

They told KUAM News Speaker Forbes was talking about former Democrat senator Mark Charfauros, while Senator Tenorio was talking about how Senator Eddie Baza Calvo got all the air time on the news about the issue of public safety, the committee of which he chairs. Reportedly both were using vulgar and offensive language during their conversation. While the Speaker was nowhere to be found in the Legislative Session Hall while we were there, we caught up with Senator Tenorio this afternoon, who hastily retreated.

KUAM News did speak however with Senator Calvo about his reaction, and when asked if he was offended by any of the comments said about him, he said, "No, no, no...it wasn't a men's locker room unfortunately, but when me and my friends get together sometimes we let it loose, and I think that's all it was."

Interstingly enough, today's recesses were dead silent. Meanwhile on the floor today Democrat senators were expressing their disappointment with trying to balance the budget for healthcare without agency heads being there to answer questions.