Nov. 11, 2006 — While a group of six incumbent senators, along with four senators-elect, said they were "only having lunch" and "celebrating" at Palms Court Harborview Hotel on Friday, rumors have been flying over the past week regarding the formation of a new majority for the 27th Legislature.
The topic was first broached by Senate Majority Leader Roosevelt David during a Rules and Judiciary Committee meeting held Thursday morning. At the time, David said he had heard that plans were in place for a 10-member majority, composed of seven independent senators along with three democratic candidates.
David said after the meeting that he received the information "from a reliable source" but said he "did not feel comfortable" disclosing the names of possible members of the new majority.
Attending Friday's meeting, which was closed to the public, were incumbent Sens. Liston Davis, Norman Jn Baptiste, Shawn-Michael Malone, Terrence "Positive" Nelson, Usie Richards and Celestino A. White Sr., along with the newly elected Carlton Dowe, James Weber II, Carmen Wesselhoft and Alvin L. Williams.
Absent from the meeting were incumbent Democratic Sens. Juan Figueroa-Serville, Louis P. Hill, Neville James and Ronald E. Russell, along with the newly elected Basil Ottley Jr.
Malone, Weber and Williams were on the Democratic ticket for both the primary and recent general election.
Davis, Jn Baptiste, Richards and White were part of the majority in the current Legislature before the Senate was reorganized last January. White, who held the post of majority leader prior to the reorganization, did not say whether he would once again be filling the position, which will be left vacant by David when the Senate wraps in January.
"A bunch of us are just getting together to celebrate the results of the election, that's all," White said jokingly on Friday. "We're just giving each other high fives and doing some dancing. We even embraced."
The group occupied a small room at Harborview, which was kept locked for most of the afternoon. Some left periodically to use the bathroom or make phone calls. While no one could see inside the room, loud shouts and laughter could be heard for most of the afternoon.
Some also took the time to joke with members of the media. At one point, White even stuck his head out the door and blew a kiss to reporters.
While most of the senators did not want to comment on what was being discussed during the meeting, Nelson said that "some discussion was taking place" regarding the future makeup of the Legislature.
When asked about who will fill position of Senate President, now occupied by Sen. Lorraine L. Berry, Nelson added that the spot may be given to "a Crucian."
"Given the way that the position alternates back and forth, that's what I'd predict," he said.
White promised that the public would know "who's going to be what in the Legislature" before a new Senate is sworn in this January.
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