Murphy gets tardy nod

To the 55 legislators who promised House Speaker William J. Murphy their support when the time comes to elect a speaker for the next two years, add one name: Rep. John J. McCauley Jr., D-Providence.

McCauley missed Thursday night’s Democratic caucus at the West Valley Inn, and he didn’t call beforehand to register a proxy vote. But he sent Murphy a letter on Friday saying he had hoped to attend the caucus but “was detained at a business meeting.”

“As we had previously discussed, I had every intention to support you and the leadership team,” McCauley wrote. “I would like to be recorded as voting in the affirmative.”

McCauley’s vote leaves Murphy, D-West Warwick, with a total of 56 votes. He needs just 38 to win a third term as speaker when the vote takes place Jan. 2.