Stranded lawmakers play poker in Capitol as blizzard rages

Intro:	As Missourians wake up to ice and snow, their elected leaders are rising from makeshift beds. Dozens spent the night trapped in the state Capitol. KMOX's Theo Keith was there.
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Wrap: Late into the night, lawmakers passed the time chatting in offices.

Democrats and Republicans played a game of poker in the House lounge.

Republican House Budget Chair Ryan Silvey was there.

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Description: "Typically we can make it out and back to our apartments or whatever, but this is definitely a first for me."

Silvey says about 120 people slept in the Capitol overnight.

St. Louis County Democrat Tim Green was one of them ... unable to drive anywhere ... not even a hotel.

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Description: "This is the first time in my 22-year career I cannot leave the building."

Green and others say they hope they can make it out Wednesday when plows clear the snow away.

From the state Capitol, I'm Theo Keith, NewsRadio 1120 KMOX.

Intro:	Missouri's Capitol became a hotel overnight, as lawmakers trapped by the snowstorm took up residence on their couches.
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Wrap: I'm Theo Keith in the state Capitol building.

Where up and down these halls, elected officials are sleeping here overnight.

Trapped by more than a foot of snow outside.

In the House lounge, there's a game of poker that Republican Budget Chair Ryan Silvey says included...

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Description: "Democrats, Republicans, senators, representatives."

In the Senate, emergency workers dropped off blankets to keep stranded lawmakers warm.

In all, it's estimated that 120 people slept here overnight.

From the halls of the Missouri Capitol, I'm Theo Keith, NewsRadio 1120 KMOX.

Intro:	As Missourians slept through the storm at home, many of our elected officials were stranded in the state Capitol.
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Wrap: Many were hardly prepared for sleeping in their offices.

Some accepting thin blankets ... which emergency workers had dropped off earlier.

St. Louis County Democratic Senator Tim Green has served more than two decades at the Capitol.

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Description: "There's no choice right now. It is literally, you can't move out here. I don't think it's as bad in St. Louis as it is up here. But I have a Chrysler and my car can't go anywhere, so I'm sleeping in my office tonight."

Green says he passed the time by chatting with some of the estimated 120 people stuck at the Capitol.

He says about 20 of those were fellow senators.

From the state Capitol, I'm Theo Keith, NewsRadio 1120 KMOX.

Intro:	Missouri's House and Senate may have quit for the week, but not everyone made it out of the Capitol building. KMOX's Theo Keith was there overnight.
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Wrap: It was strange to see late at night -- offices open, lights on.

Someone playing the piano.

And the sound of poker chips hitting the table in the House lounge.

The estimated 120 people trapped in the Capitol by the snowstorm kept busy.

Republican House Budget Chair Ryan Silvey says he couldn't make it back to Kansas City.

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Description: "I certainly have not seen this many people stuck in the building."

So he played poker.

Was it competitive?

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Description: KEITH: "You guys are politicians." SILVEY: "No, I think it's like anything else. Sit around, talk, just try to pass the time."

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Description: KEITH: "You guys are politicians."

SILVEY: "No, I think it's like anything else. Sit around, talk, just try to pass the time."

Silvey and others say when the roads are clear, they just want to get home.

From the state Capitol, I'm Theo Keith, NewsRadio 1120 KMOX.