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Confused about senatorís vote

To the editor:
The recent ad about Sen. Nienowís vote on the North Branch bridge ñ along with his letter contradicting the ad ñ piqued my interest. Being a curious sort, I consulted the Senate Web site.
Amazingly, the Senate Web site did not include Senator Nienowís name on the list of Senators voting either for or against S.F. 1534. I called the Senate and was told that indeed, Senator Nienow did not vote for the bill.
OK, now Iím confused. Sen. Nienow insists he voted for the bill, the ad says he voted against the bill and the Senate record says he didnít vote at all.
Luckily, I like mysteries. With a little detective work, I figured out the trail of Sen. Nienowís votes.ÝThere were two identical bills with funding for the North Branch bridge ñ S.F. 1534 and H.F. 627. On S.F. 1534, he missed the vote. On H.F. 627, he voted ìno.î
So, in this tale of two bills - when it comes to supporting the North Branch bridge ñ is our Senator a hero or a zero? His constituents are the judge and they should have all the facts in making their decision.ÝWhile Sen. Nienowís defense of his vote is technically accurate ñ that he didnít vote against S.F. 1534 ñ he failed to mention that he also didnít vote for it.ÝHe also failed to mention that he voted against the bridge in the identical bill ñ H.F. 627.
Senator Nienow could try to explain himself again.ÝBut as a Senator who has misled us at least twice concerning his
support for an important local project, heís running short of credibility and second chances.
Jackie Truskolaski
Rush City

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