Lawmakers try to de-bat chamber as interloper halts debate
May 15, 2015, 6:42 AM
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont Statehouse chamber was evacuated after a brown bat flew in to join the state’s lawmakers.
The Burlington Free Press reports (http://bfpne.ws/1A5kM6A ) the winged mammal was trapped in the chamber as legislators discussed end-of-session business Thursday night in Montpelier.
The bat flew around in circles several times before House Speaker Shap Smith called a 10-minute recess.
House leadership hoped the bat would eventually fly out of a window. When it didn’t, legislators gathered a cardboard box and jacket to use in their attempt to catch the bat.
The group succeeded and sent the animal out an open window. Moments later, the bat returned and the House reconvened anyway.
Rep. Doug Gage says this was the third bat to enter the chamber this year.
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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com
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