Thursday afternoon about 1:25 p.m., there was an unusual sight in the state Senate chamber in the Capitol: the Democratic governor, standing on the carpet outside the circle of 36 senators' chairs, talking one-on-one with Democratic senators to try to drum up support for the controversial paid sick leave bill.
Gov. Dannel Malloy responded with vague pleasantries when he asked what he was doing there in quiet conversation with Sen. Paul Doyle, D-Wethersfield. Doyle is one of a few members of the governor's party in the chamber who have not been buying the party line in support of the proposed measure.
The governor's senior adviser, Roy Occhiogrosso, later confirmed that Malloy had been urging a few skeptical Democratics to support it because "he thinks it's good public policy." In addition to talking to a few senators in the chamber, he also made a few phone calls. "He talked to five or six senators during the day" on the phone or in person, Occhiogrosso said.