The first openly gay Republican member of the California Assembly was interrupted repeatedly by Democratic leaders on Monday, as lawmakers discussed a resolution to honor “Pride Month.”
Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Josh Lowenthal, a Democrat from Long Beach, interrupted Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio on three separate occasions to wish colleagues a happy birthday.
DeMaio was expressing disagreement with a resolution that, he said, could have simply reflected support for the LGBT community but instead included divisive and extreme language.
Lawmakers generally have five minutes of uninterrupted time on the Assembly floor to express their opinion about proposed legislation.
DeMaio, who represents the San Diego area, criticized the bill, HR-43—a resolution commemorating “Pride Month”—ahead of Monday’s vote on the resolution….