Sen. Russell Pearce said he has not seen any move in the Senate aimed at removing majority leader Chuck Gray from his leadership post, despite reports that he may suffer the same fate as recently ousted majority whip Pamela Gorman.

“I have not seen it, and I don’t believe it,” Pearce said.

The reports that Gray, a Mesa Republican, could be in danger of losing his position as majority leader came on the heels of comments made in closed caucus by Sen. Al Melvin, according to Sen. Sylvia Allen. Melvin, a Tucson Republican, was unhappy that Gray was out of town on vacation during the special session, which has dragged on for more than a month while lawmakers try to sort out of the budget crisis.

Melvin would not confirm that he made those comments in closed caucus, but told the ~Arizona Capitol Times~ “it’s a shame” that the Senate will not be able to vote on the budget until Aug. 10.” Gray is one of 15 Senate Republicans to pledge support for the budget approved by the House of Representatives on July 30, though leadership and Gov. Jan Brewer have not been able to get the 16th vote needed to pass the budget.

“I wouldn’t have gone. I can only speak for myself and for what I would’ve done. I would not have left the state at this time for any reason, frankly,” Melvin said. “It’s a matter of principle and an obligation. We have an obligation to the 6 million people in this state to get this budget done.”

Allen said Melvin criticized Gray for his absence, but did not call for his ouster as majority leader.

“Sen. Melvin made some comments, but nobody was in favor of moving forward with anything regarding Chuck Gray,” the Snowflake Republican said. “He voiced his displeasure at him being gone, but he did not … call for his resignation or anything.”

Pearce, a Mesa Republican, defended Gray’s decision to go on the Caribbean cruise he had planned under the assumption that the Legislature would no longer be in session at the end of July. Brewer called lawmakers into special session after vetoing the budget they passed on July 1.

“There’s a point where you have a right to plan your vacation,” Pearce said. “We tell people don’t plan anything until June 30. Well, he didn’t. And he spent thousands of dollars to take his family on a well-deserved vacation that he’s paying for.”

Political consultant Chris Baker, of the firm Blue Point LLC, attributed Melvin’s comments to the freshman senator’s “inexperience” in the Legislature, noting that Gray was not there to defend himself and that, even if he were there, leadership did not have the votes they needed to pass the budget.

“For Melvin to get up there and spout off about Chuck Gray and take a cheap shot at him, I think, really shows a lack of experience on his part,” Baker said.

Sen. Ron Gould, who has continually vowed his opposition to the budget because it would put a temporary sales tax increase on the November ballot, said he didn’t attend the Aug. 4 caucus meeting, but said “if the comments that are attributed to Sen. Melvin are true, I think they’re out of line.”

“I think it’s just the ramblings of an inexperienced legislator who’s not making any friends by making things personal. Good people can disagree. It doesn’t have to become personal,” Gould said.

Gould, a Lake Havasu Republican, said Melvin apparently “has trouble controlling his tongue,” citing a confrontation between the two lawmakers in a Senate restroom.

“Essentially his comment was, ‘Why did you even bother coming down? Oh, to make a couple of speeches and vote with the Democrats.'” Gould said. “I guess because I won’t vote to send the tax increase to the ballot, then I’m voting with the Democrats, even though the reason the Democrats are voting no is totally different from the reason that I will vote no.”

Melvin wouldn’t say whether he planned to seek out support for ousting Gray from his leadership position.

“The first thing we’ve got to do is get past this (budget) vote on Monday,” he said. “We’ll see how the majority feels after we get past this vote.”

Allen said most of the discussion in caucus on Aug. 4 centered on Gorman. The Anthem Republican resigned her post as Senate majority whip that day over her opposition to leadership’s support for the tax increase ballot referral. The caucus chose freshman Sen. Steve Pierce, of Prescott, to replace her as whip.