As the clock ticked closer to midnight one Friday in March, Connecticut Sen. Rob Sampson got a flashback to years earlier when a House floor debate over an official state symbol took place in the early morning hours — giving the majority party more time to put the finishing touches on a more consequential bill.
This time, after more than eight hours of debate over an environmental rights constitutional amendment and election reform legislation, the bill before legislators seated around a horseshoe-shaped table in the committee room would name the official state rock (Housatonic marble) and amphibian (spring peeper).
Already a subscriber? Sign in