When the air had cleared from last week’s big dust-up in the
state Senate over the budget, road funding, and a host spending items, one spot
on the tally board seemed odd.
Sen. Jack Brandenburg, never one to shy from a fight or duck
a vote, was listed as “not present” on the vote for the overall budget.
A Harrison Township Republican, Brandenburg explained on
Friday that an ill-timed bathroom break caused him to miss possibly the biggest
vote of the year. The senator said that the restrooms outside the Senate
chamber include speakers to keep track of the proceedings, but on Thursday the
sound was scratchy and the discussion on the floor was hard to comprehend.

When he re-entered the floor, Brandenburg got one of those
classic head-slapper messages from a colleague: “Hey, where you been? We just
voted on the budget.”

In summary: Jack went to the John but the Senate kept moving
on.

After the fiscal year 2015 budget was approved, the senator
said later that he would have sided with the majority and voted for the
measure.

So, I guess everything came out all right.