“But the minimal requirement is to show up for a session and vote and to show up for your committees and participate in that way.”
Huffman was responding to a question from the Dayton Daily News after Senate session Wednesday, which marked Antani’s fourth absence in a row from Senate sessions and 10th this General Assembly. Antani also didn’t attend meetings for the two committees he sits on Wednesday morning.
Antani did not return messages from the Dayton Daily News asking if there was a specific reason for Wednesday’s absence. As required by Senate rules in order to be excused, he sent a notice to Huffman’s office Wednesday.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“I write to inform you that I will be absent from Senate Session on Wednesday, May 22, 2024,” the notice says.
Huffman said he is keeping Antani’s office staffed and open so calls that come in can be passed along to the right people when necessary. And he said other senators from the Miami Valley are helping make sure the Dayton region is represented.
A recent Dayton Daily News investigation found Antani — who represents the city of Dayton and Montgomery County’s southwest suburbs in the Senate — has one of the worst attendance records in the Senate.
Antani told the Dayton Daily News he stopped coming to the Statehouse because the General Assembly has become ineffective as Huffman has prioritized setting up a run for House Speaker in the next General Assembly over getting anything done this General Assembly.
He also said his attendance was impacted by his run for U.S. Congress, which was unsuccessful.
Huffman noted Wednesday that members do sometimes miss sessions if they are sick, or have family emergencies or are running for other offices. Though he noted Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate.
“(Dolan) was in about the highest profile office you could be and he didn’t miss a single session or committee while he was going through that,” Huffman said.
About the Author
