eCapitol.net

Amidst all the debate on the Senate floor Tuesday concerning the Republicans’ new rules, senators and the media missed the real story: Male senators gotta’ wear pants!

For at least two years, 2007 and 2008, it appears that wasn’t the case. To their credit, when the new Republican majority rolled out their new rules they presented them like a bill, complete with underlined new language and stricken language from the last legislature’s rules. That made it easy to see what was added and what was taken away.

Under the previous session’s Code of Conduct and Standards for Member of the Senate and Staff, male members were required to wear “(C)oat and tie” in the chambers during sessions of the Senate. Female members were required to don “appropriate attire.” There was no mention of “slacks and trousers” for the men in last session’s rules.

Thankfully, that language was added in the new rules. Ironically, Democrats voted as a group against the new rules. In political parlance where every vote shows you’re either for or against something, it would appear the Republicans can hit the stump and claim Democrats are against pants.

But Democrats may want to seize on what was missing in the new rules in their own stump speeches. Republicans, apparently, believe it is appropriate to debate the merits of tax cuts, tort reform or education funding sans shirt and shoes, which are not required by the recently-passed rules. As long as male members throw on a tie, coat and some slacks or trousers, they’re good to go legislate.

And if that’s the case for the guys, just what is “appropriate attire” for the ladies?

Some have suggested that this legislative session could be particularly interesting. If they only knew!