Fight over judges stalls action in Va. General Assembly

RICHMOND

Partisan gridlock over appointing two former legislators to state judgeships temporarily halted action in the Senate on Tuesday and left the General Assembly in limbo over whether it could conduct business in the coming days.

After several delays, members of the legislature agreed to put off consideration of judicial elections until Thursday, giving them extra time to negotiate.

The clash, over a missed deadline and arcane legislative procedures, is the latest sign of friction between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, which is split 20-20 between the parties.

Lawmakers had planned to vote Tuesday on reappointing a slate of judges to benches around the state. Democrats opposed that because the list included two candidate who aren't sitting judges, former Dels. Clifford "Clay" Athey, R-Front Royal, and Clarence "Bud" Phillips, D-Dickenson County.

Although both have the seal of approval of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, Democrats said they had an agreement with Republicans to vote only on reappointments at this time, leaving the election of new judges for later.

Tthe stalemate temporarily left the Senate unable to take up other affairs because it was operating under a continuing order preventing that until the impasse was settled. It also threatened the ability of the House of Delegates to operate.

"Is this a judicial selection issue, or is this a bruised feelings and political ego question?" asked Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment, R-James City County.

Senate Democratic leader Richard Saslaw suggested Republican rigidity was to blame.

"We're not holding it up," he said. "Their refusal - just for two names, they're willing to shut the entire General Assembly down."