Business Put On Hold As Senators Mourn

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(STATEHOUSE) - Legislators canceled most business Monday as senators traveled to Terre Haute for the funeral of Sen. Tim Skinner’s daughter.

29-year-old Shanna Skinner Branch's death in a Thursday car crash is one of a series of tragedies which have shadowed this year's four-month session. Senator Anita Bowser entered the hospital with breast cancer weeks into the session and died soon after. Senator Marvin Riegsecker has yet to return from surgery last month on an enlarged adrenal gland.

Along with the crash which killed Branch, a second car crash on Monday claimed the life of a legislative staffer's daughter. House Ways and Means Chairman William Crawford says the legislature is like a giant fraternity or sorority, so everyone feels the losses.

But he and House Minority Leader Brian Bosma agree legislators can set aside their emotions to complete the final week of business. The legislature must adjourn by next Sunday.

Branch's death prompted the cancellation of floor action Friday and Monday in the House and Senate. All but a handful of conference committees those two days were canceled as well.

Crawford says the lost business days shouldn't get in the way of completing work by the deadline. He notes most of the negotiations toward final versions of bills take place privately between individual legislators, not in the committees' official public meetings.

The only bill which must pass by Sunday is the new two-year state budget.

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