Senate Democrats want power compromise, Republicans roll eyes

Partisan sniping over state Senate control intensified Friday when Democrats urged Republicans to share power, saying Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling can't break a tie on how the evenly split 40-member chamber is organized.

Because this month's election produced 20 senators from each party, "it’s only right the power in the Senate is divided equally," Fairfax County Democratic Sen. Richard Saslaw said in a statement announcing the party's next class of caucus leaders.

"Republicans are wrong to try and grab power when half the state voted for Democrats," Saslaw added. "It’s a question of fairness. The Republicans are trying to overrule the will of the people and claim a majority they did not earn.”

GOP officials previously declared their intention to function as a majority in the Senate by relying on Bolling's ability to settle impasses that arise.

But Democrats, on the verge of relinquishing their majority, dispute the scope of Bolling's authority to cast deciding votes.

The state constitution places the responsibility to set up the Senate with its elected members and "Bolling is not a member of the Senate," argued Sen. Donald McEachin, a Henrico County Democrat elected the new caucus chairman.

Republicans have a contrasting view.

Voters gave the GOP the right to rule by electing party candidates in the 2009 statewide elections and last week's contests, incoming Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment, R-James City County, said later Friday, noting that questions about the lieutenant governor's authority were addressed during a period of Senate parity in the mid-90s.

(Senators worked out a power-sharing deal in 1996 when the chamber was split 20-20 and a Democrat was lieutenant governor, though that was due to political dynamics at the time rather than Democrats being conciliatory. A series of past attorney generals' opinions on the authority of the lieutenat governor are posted below.)

For good measure, Norment debunked Saslaw's claim about the portion of votes Democrats received, saying state tallies show Senate Republicans received 768,545 votes, compared to 535,087 for Democrats.

Also joining the fray was Sen. Ryan McDougle, a Hanover County Republican and GOP caucus chairman, who accused Democrats of placing "partisan posturing above the interests of the people of Virginia."

-- Julian Walker

Va Agp018735 1996 Va. Ag 31 Constitution of Virgi 2

Va Agp015658 80 81 Va. Ag 97 Constitution. Genera 2

va_agp010551_69_70_Va._AG_165__LIEUTENANT_GOVERNOR_2[1]

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