Prague, Retiring This Year, Praised In Senate; Says, ‘I’m Not Gonna Cry ‘Cause It’ll Cost Me 5 Bucks.’

It’s said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and a number of state senators took that saying literally Wednesday when they arose to give speeches in praise of Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, who is retiring from the Senate after 18 years at age 86.

They did their best impressions of her distinctive voice – a little like Katharine Hepburn, with a Boston-area accent. Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams started it by mimicking Prague’s goading of leaders in private Democratic caucuses, including  Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney.

“Mah-ty! MAH-TY! One more bill!” Williams said in a penetrating tone that drew laughs in the Capitol’s circular Senate chamber. “Edith never stops.”

Looney did his own imitation a few minutes  later.  “Every single day, I can always hear her voice – ‘Mah-ty! When are we gonna do that next bill? My seniors need it! …  My workers need it!’”

From the Republican side, Sen. John Kissel of Enfield said he‘ll miss hearing Prague respond to one of his statements by saying – and he did his best approximation of Prague’s voice – “That’s outrageous!”

One by one, each of her colleagues in the 36-member Senate praised her and told anecdotes. The majority didn’t do Prague impressions, but said she exemplified energy, intelligence, compassion, and sometimes-fearsome tenacity.

Sen. John Fonfara, D-Hartford, noted that someone had called Prague “the voice of reason” in the Senate. “I don’t agree with that,” he said. “Edith, on many days, has been very unreasonable.” There were laughs. “That’s what has made her great, you see – because this institution is like a river; it’s designed to wear at the edges, … designed to wear us down. But, Edith, you’ve been the bend that very often wouldn’t break, and God knows we need that here in this building.”

Democratic Sen. Gary LeBeau predicted that news reporters will miss the quotable Prague, who isn’t seeking re-election this November – after recovering from a mild stroke she suffered six months ago. He said: “Some of the quotes Edith had over the years, I’m not gonna repeat.” He didn’t need to; most remember that Prague famously said last year that one of the Cheshire killers should be “hung by his penis from a tree out in the middle of Main Street.”

Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, her voice husky with emotion, told Prague “we love you” for a number of reasons, including that “you are a role model for women… We are still a minority in this group. …  Your presence, your advocacy, your heart, your strength – your example is so big. You show that strength doesn’t have to come in a gray suit.” She said Prague showed “how women can be tough and kind, all at the same time.”

“Edith, you’ve been like a mother to me – and I’ve been as fearful of you as I have been of my real mother,” Sen. Eric Coleman, D-Bloomfield, said, drawing another laugh. “But I know all of the chastising was well worth it, because she always had my best interests at heart, and good causes at heart, and she inspired me and propelled me to do some things that I think the both of us are proud of. Edith, I love you. I’ll miss you.”

“Does life get any better than this?” Prague said when it was finally her turn to speak. “I mean, I feel so fulfilled and so proud. My colleagues today have made me feel like I have accomplished my life’s work. … I want to thank you. I’m not gonna cry, ‘cause it’ll cost me five bucks.” She said she had made a bet that she wouldn’t break down during the ceremonies, and she won.