Supporters of the bill would also need to find two more votes in the Senate.
So why can't Senators Mitchell and Chafee find 60 votes for their worthy compromise?
Then, a few days later, officials at the Board of Elections announced that they had found 42,000 uncounted votes.
Ratification requires 67 votes in the Senate, meaning supporters will have to find at least 16 votes among the Republicans.
'Finding' three votes per precinct in urban areas is not a difficult thing...".
Until opponents could find 67 votes to close off debate, the obstructers would paralyze the Senate with talk.
"You don't think maybe I could have found another 600 votes with another $700,000?"
"Finding 101 positive votes on something is going to be very difficult," a legislative aide said.
"You mean your boss can always find as many votes as someone needs?"
Democrats will easily find 34 loyalist votes in the Senate to resist removal in the spring.