A Minnesota lawmaker appeared shirtless during an official Zoom meeting on Monday, causing a stir among attendees and sparking online reactions. Sen. Calvin Bahr was seen lying down and shirtless with a School House Rock "I'm Just a Bill" in the background as he cast his vote during a virtual Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor meeting.
Bahr, a Republican, was elected to the Senate in 2022 after serving three terms in the state House. In a statement on his 2022 campaign, he touts himself as a fiscal conservative and looks forward to bringing his commitment to constitutional and fiscally prudent government to the Minnesota Senate.
Minnesota state senator Calvin Bahr found internet fame after casting his vote in front of an apt background while shirtless on Zoom. After giving a "yes" vote, he quickly turned the camera upwards and switched off the video so it displayed only "Sen. Cal Bahr." Several people at the in-person meeting room were seen smiling when their cameras switched back.
The incident spurred various memes out of this situation; for instance, one included an image of a cockatiel drinking frome cocktail glass.
When reached for comment about this unusual occurrence amid legislative proceedings Sen. Bahr said:
Some fellow lawmakers took it lightly: Senator Jane Thompson (D-Minnesota) added:
While there has been no official reprimand from either party or chamber leadership regarding this episode, many speculate whether additional guidelines will be put forth regarding proper attire during virtual meetings moving forward.