TOPEKA — Senate President Ty Masterson found inspiration in the 1987 movie “The Princess Bride” on Monday as he urged senators to override the governor’s veto of a GOP-drawn congressional map.
Then, something inconceivable happened.
Despite their GOP supermajority, Republicans failed to gather the 27 votes necessary to override the veto. They deployed a procedural maneuver to hold the chamber under lockdown for hours and force two absent senators to show up and vote. The pressure tactic failed with a 24-15 final tally.