When House Speaker William Murphy, D_West Warwick adjourned the Rhode Island House session early Saturday morning, he said lawmakers needed a cooling off period. What he didn't say was that he had a long-planned European vacation scheduled to begin this week.

Several State House sources told WRNI that the House speaker called a legislative hiatus in order to follow through on vacation plans to Europe. Murphy's spokeasman Larry Berman declined to say where Murphy was headed when contacted this afternoon, but other Smith Hill sources said Murphy had a long-planned trip to Europe, including Switzerland.

The National Speakers Conference, a group of state House speakers, has a health care forum scheduled in Switzerland from July 1 to 5, according to the organization's web site. Murphy is a member of the organization's executive commitee, according to the web site.

Murphy's absence means the House won't finish its business until mid-July at the earliest, a time when the House chamber, which has no air conditioning, is at its steamiest.

It also leaves some big issues unsettled, including a rescue package for greyhound racing at the bankrupt Twin River casino and banning indoor prostitution. The House and Senate have both passed differing versions of the legislation and they cannot become law until reconciled.

By contrast, the Senate is continuing to work tomorrow. Greg Pare, a spokesman for Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport, declined comment on Murphy's vacation plans but confirmed the Senate had been advised of Murphy's absence.