As Missouri hunkered down in preparation and took precautions for an unprecendented storm this past week, we in the Capitol did our best to carry on. Many of us heeded the weather warnings and arrived in Jefferson City last Sunday evening to avoid potential icy highways. But we did not fully realize what lay ahead.
Monday afternoon we convened and determined that enough were present for a quorum to be able to conduct business on the floor and hold committee hearings through Tuesday. However by the next morning we were in the throes of an historic blizzard that left mid-Missouri with over 20 inches of snow. It was clear that many of us were not going to be able to even get to our Jefferson City apartments that evening.
The Missouri Capitol became the site of a mass sleepover Feb. 1st when the blizzard stranded about 100 of us, including staff and interns, in the building for the night. We shared food and supplies with each other while the State Emergency Management Agency provided blankets and pillows.
On Wednesday and Thursday the legislature convened for technical sessions only so lawmakers were able to drive home early pending highway openings. The bipartisan comraderie of our overnight experience will be talked about for years!
Check out some of our media coverage here.