Sly Turner: At His Word ...
Emphasis mine ...
Sylvester Turner St. Representative, District 139 Speaker Pro Tem April 21, 2005"There has been some confusion surrounding my vote on Representative Talton's amendment to SB 6. The vote was cast mistakenly while I was at the appropriation conference committee working group. I am NOT in favor of the amendment, and my previous record and actions reflect that. Foster children need loving comfortable homes and I would never let prejudice or discrimination stand in the way of these children finding those homes. I am hopeful that the conference committee on SB 6 will remove discrimination from this piece of legislation."
Sylvester Turner
So there ya go ... while Sylvester could not cast a deciding and important vote on teachers' health insurance due to an emergency phone call, he apparently could vote while in a Conference Committee working group.
Some people just dig their own graves ...
Sylvester's use of the passive voice here is telling: "The vote was cast ...". Cast by whom? Who did he allow or tell to cast his vote for him? If it is not Sylvester's fault, he should identify the individual who is indeed at fault. Otherwise, he should own up to his decision.