ST.PAUL, Minn. — Things are looking worse for two state legislators who were arrested in a drunk-driving stop about 1 a.m. on March 24. A photo has emerged of of Elliott Engen and Walter Judson drinking the afternoon before at St. Paul burger joint a mile from the Capitol. Nothing is necessarily wrong with a three-martini lunch — although, to be srue, they were drinking beer, not martinis. To the point: They missed an afternoon meeting the of House Public Safety Finannce and Poilcy Committee. regarding a bill about student attendance rates. They were back at the Capitol in the evening, however, to vote on separate legislation. On this second bill they vote with fellow Republicans to block Democratic proposals to limit ICE and to ban assault weapons. The arrests were a few hours later. Police tested Engen’s blood alcohol at 0.13% — which is beyond tipsy, beyond buzzed, lbeyond the legal impaired, and into a medically defined category between “drunk” and “very drunk.” Court records didn’t show Hudson’s level of impairment, but he was charged with carrying a firearm while intoxicated.
What is known. And how. A photograph of Engen and Hudson at a fashionable burger pub shows them with 17-ounce mugs and a basket of bar appetizers. The photo was taken by Brian Basham, a food delivery driver. Neither Engen nor Hudson realized they were being photographed. Basham recognized Engen and Hudson from a previous job as a nonpartisan Capitol staffer. This was abuot 2:30 a.m. Learning of the arrests and after seeing Basham’s photo, a reporter for television station KARE checked routine House video of the committee meeting for which Engen and Hudson were not only tardy at 3 p.m. but never showed.