PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Rep. Joseph M.McNamara is blaming "petty politics'' for the death of his bill to make calamari the official state appetizer.
The legislation was one of the last items on the Senate's calendar Wednesday night. But the Senate closed up shop for the year at 10:42 p.m. without voting on it.
"They used symbols out of Godfather I and left the dead squid on the desk to send a message to the House of Representatives which I think is extremely petty and unfortunate,'' McNamara said.
Asked what message he believed the Senate was sending, McNamara said: "the message is we don't like working on July 3 and we're upset that the House can't [expedite] their process like the Senate does.''
"Very, very unfortunate,'' said McNamara, D-Warwick, citing the "symbolic insult'' to Rhode Island's fishing industry. "Petty politics at its worst.''