"Human error" was blamed Thursday for written statements by Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd that had Sen. Lorraine Berry hopping mad and Liburd issuing an apology by the end of the day.
In a statement Thursday, Berry accused Liburd of committing an "unconscionable fabrication" in the Senate majority's "Policy Agenda for the 24th Legislature," which was issued last week under Liburd's signature.
In the agenda, Liburd stated he introduced a bill in early 1999 to eliminate per diem payment to senators for same-day travel. "Unfortunately," Liburd said, "the Senate Committee on Finance … allowed the bill to languish in committee without taking action for over a year and a half, so that the bill died in committee." He added, "One of the first acts of this (the 24th) Legislature . . . will be to eliminate these per diem payments for same day travel."
Berry said Liburd had requested in writing to have the bill withdrawn from the committee for further consideration. Berry said, "That bill died through Senator Liburd's own request. Thus, in response to this blatant lie, I have no choice but to release his letter."
A copy of the letter, dated June 3, 1999, requesting the bill's withdrawal was attached to Berry's release.
Berry said, "Well before his written request, he (Liburd) had requested personally that I withdraw the bill from consideration." She said that it is a "time-honored" legislative tactic to kill a bill by using the excuse that it needs further work. She said she can "no longer allow the majority to continue to vilify her work in the 23rd Legislature."
Liburd's chief researcher, Rudy Krigger Jr., responded to Berry's accusations.
"It was human error," Krigger said. "We by no means meant to make any false statements."
Krigger said he wasn't in Liburd's employ at the time the letter was written and, in helping to put together the 24th Legislature's agenda, he was "not aware of that piece of correspondence."
Krigger said Liburd is in Washington, D.C., to attend the presidential inauguration of George W. Bush and won't be back until Jan. 27. However, Krigger said, "We will be contacting Sen. Berry with a formal apology."
Late Thursday afternoon, Berry received a letter of apology from Liburd in which he said in part, "I am writing to correct and alologize for a statement made in the policy agenda."
Berry said, "I am pleased that he apologized in writing … however I am requesting that his correction take the form of a reprint of at least the last page of the agenda, and that he withdraw all the documents he has distributed, and release a new one reflecting his correction."
Liburd said, "I deeply apologize for this error, and I assure you there was absolutely no intent to make any false statement." Liburd corroborated Krigger's account of how the misunderstanding had occurred.
