Heard Around Town: DeFrancisco's wit will be missed in budget hearings

The state Legislature’s joint budget hearings, which get underway today, are day-long events in which lawmakers meticulously go through hundreds of pages of the state budget. As chairman of the state Senate Finance Committee, state Sen. John DeFrancisco was known for lightening the mood with a quick wit and sly humor – which colleagues say will be missed now that he has been promoted to deputy majority leader.

“John is quick-witted and he can use humor. I think we both can use humor at the same time when we’re arguing,” said state Sen. Liz Krueger, a Democrat who has sparred with DeFrancisco. “I think it’s something we both enjoyed about each other and could go back and forth on.”

The hearings take place in a windowless room of the Legislative Office Building.

“You’re trapping yourself in those rooms until 9:30 in the morning until way after dark,” Krueger said. “I do joke that we both suffer from vitamin D deficiencies during the budget season, because you never saw sunlight.”

State Sen. Catharine Young, who replaced DeFrancisco in the key budget role for the Senate Republicans, said she’s excited to follow in his footsteps.

“(DeFrancisco) keeps a stopwatch and is very strict about time management and that’s really moved things along in a very positive way over the years,” Young noted. “At the same time, he does have a very dry, sharp wit and brings levity to the proceedings, which actually is actually a great tension breaker.”

Krueger said she still is looking forward to doing verbal battle with DeFrancisco on the Senate floor.

“I’m hoping not to lose him for those purposes, because he’ll be the floor leader,” she said. “I can say this about John DeFrancisco: if he has something to say, his change of title won’t stop him from jumping up and saying it.”