Lawmakers skip first-day jitters, go right to the jabs

RICHMOND

Democrats' lively but ultimately futile effort to block Republicans from taking power in the Virginia Senate dominated the opening of this year's General Assembly session, marking an earlier-than-normal start to partisan squabbling.

Absent from much of Wednesday's proceedings was the back-to-school vibe often seen among lawmakers returning to the capital.

In its place were parliamentary disagreements over Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling's powers.

He's been in the spotlight since the November elections changed the balance of power in the Senate, from being controlled by Democrats to having a 20-20 split with Republicans announcing their intention to rule with Bolling's tie-breaking assistance.

Democrats have been fighting that.

They acknowledge that the state constitution allows the lieutenant governor to cast a tie-breaking vote on certain issues, but they insist that doesn't extend to how the Senate is organized.

Bolling and his fellow Republicans reject those interpretations, reasoning that the lieutenant governor is only barred from resolving a deadlock when the constitution explicitly requires approval from a majority of legislators.

Democratic Sen. Donald McEachin of Henrico County took the dispute to court last month, but a judge declined to restrict the lieutenant governor from weighing in on the Senate's organization.

Democrats had no more success Wednesday.

For more than two hours, they argued that the constitution doesn't permit Bolling to vote on how the chamber is organized. That's the domain of senators, they said.

Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, said the GOP plan is "grossly unfair to citizens of Virginia who voted for a 20-20 Senate."

Democrats urged Republicans to share power, as the parties did beginning in 1996, the last time there was Senate parity.

But Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment, R-James City County, reminded colleagues that accord was reached because of the political dynamics at the time, not good will on the part of Democrats.

And he defended his party's organizational plan, saying "it is not a power grab," but rather "a rearticulation of the Senate rules that we, on this side, think are appropriate."

Bolling broke several ties Wednesday - first to reject Democrats' power-sharing plan, then to approve a Republican rewriting of the chamber's rules, and finally on GOP committee assignments.

Particularly troubling to Democrats was removal of language that called for proportional representation on the Senate's committees that function as gatekeepers in the lawmaking process.

Many of the Senate's 11 committees are split 8-7 in favor of Republicans.

However, GOP legislators more heavily outnumber Democrats on the powerful Finance Committee, through which the state budget passes, and on the Commerce and Labor Committee, which weighs bills dealing with industry.

Democrats stacked committees in their favor when they were in the majority.

Wednesday's defeat may not be the end of this fight - McEachin said his lawsuit is still pending and that his attorneys are on standby.

Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com