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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Democrats take control of Virginia Senate
Posted by:
NOVA Politics
()
Date: February 20, 2014 08:29AM
Democrats take control of Virginia Senate
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20140214/NEWS/140219430/general-assembly-notes&template=fairfaxTimes
Democrats regained control of Virginia’s Senate in late January after Norfolk Democrat Lynwood Lewis assumed the District 6 seat vacated by Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) after an 11-vote victory against his Republican opponent.
Lewis’s installation kept the state Senate split 20-20, with Northam casting most tiebreaking votes. The newfound majority prompted Democrats to alter committee assignments and Senate rules, just as Republicans did in 2012 under the tiebreaking authority of former Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R).
The new committee assignments give Democrats an advantage over Republicans in 11 committees. The rules change confers special vetoing powers allowing new Senate Rules Chairman Sen. John S. Edwards (D-Dist. 21) to singlehandedly kill any bill that is “substantially” amended by House Republicans.
Sen. Thomas Norment (R-Dist. 3) lost his position as majority leader to Sen. Richard Saslaw (D-Dist. 35) as a result of the special elections.
“The rules change giving unprecedented authority to the Chairman of the Rules Committee was by far the most egregious actions of the Democrats,” Norment stated in an email. “They scuttled the rules without the approved two-thirds vote.”
According to a release issued by the Democratic Caucus, Sen. Donald McEachin (D-Dist. 9) urged Republicans to come to a power-sharing agreement in 2012, warning that if Republicans choose not to share power, there is no going back.
“We will be at 20-20 sometime in the future, and perhaps there’ll be a Democratic lieutenant governor,” McEachin said in a floor meeting at the time. “And perhaps the shoe will be on the other foot.”
Republicans dismissed the argument at the time and called on Democrats to accept the decision, according to the caucus’s release.
“When Republicans took control of the Senate, we asked for power sharing,” McEachin stated in the release. “Now that we have control, we will be fair to our colleagues … but we will use our majority to work on the issues for which the voters spoke.”
— Eric Luther and Jackson McMillan, Capital News Service
Reorganized Senate committee tries to reverse abortion limits
Two abortion-related bills were passed last week by the Virginia Health and Education Senate Committee a day after the House of Delegates struck down a pair of identical measures in committee.
The Senate bills, SB617 and SB618, passed on party-line votes a week after Democrats took control of the Senate and reorganized several committees, including Health and Education.
The Senate bills seek to add abortion procedures to health care coverage and to repeal a required ultrasound law for women seeking an abortion.
“It’s nobody’s damn business,” said Senate Majority Leader and committee member Richard L. Saslaw (D-Dist. 35). “The state has no business injecting their big nose in anybody’s business.”
The issue has the state legislature split, as both measures attempt to overturn laws that were passed in 2012 and 2013 under a Republican-controlled General Assembly.
Senate committee Democrats say they doubt their bills will pass in the House.
“This is about the 30th year we’ve been dealing with this issue,” Saslaw said. “Quite frankly, I don’t know when it’s going to end.”
With Republicans controlling the House of Delegates by 67-32 vote, the Senate bills are likely to be dead on arrival. Earlier this week, a House companion bill to remove the ultrasound requirement was tabled in subcommittee.
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20140214/NEWS/140219430/general-assembly-notes&template=fairfaxTimes
Democrats regained control of Virginia’s Senate in late January after Norfolk Democrat Lynwood Lewis assumed the District 6 seat vacated by Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) after an 11-vote victory against his Republican opponent.
Lewis’s installation kept the state Senate split 20-20, with Northam casting most tiebreaking votes. The newfound majority prompted Democrats to alter committee assignments and Senate rules, just as Republicans did in 2012 under the tiebreaking authority of former Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R).
The new committee assignments give Democrats an advantage over Republicans in 11 committees. The rules change confers special vetoing powers allowing new Senate Rules Chairman Sen. John S. Edwards (D-Dist. 21) to singlehandedly kill any bill that is “substantially” amended by House Republicans.
Sen. Thomas Norment (R-Dist. 3) lost his position as majority leader to Sen. Richard Saslaw (D-Dist. 35) as a result of the special elections.
“The rules change giving unprecedented authority to the Chairman of the Rules Committee was by far the most egregious actions of the Democrats,” Norment stated in an email. “They scuttled the rules without the approved two-thirds vote.”
According to a release issued by the Democratic Caucus, Sen. Donald McEachin (D-Dist. 9) urged Republicans to come to a power-sharing agreement in 2012, warning that if Republicans choose not to share power, there is no going back.
“We will be at 20-20 sometime in the future, and perhaps there’ll be a Democratic lieutenant governor,” McEachin said in a floor meeting at the time. “And perhaps the shoe will be on the other foot.”
Republicans dismissed the argument at the time and called on Democrats to accept the decision, according to the caucus’s release.
“When Republicans took control of the Senate, we asked for power sharing,” McEachin stated in the release. “Now that we have control, we will be fair to our colleagues … but we will use our majority to work on the issues for which the voters spoke.”
— Eric Luther and Jackson McMillan, Capital News Service
Reorganized Senate committee tries to reverse abortion limits
Two abortion-related bills were passed last week by the Virginia Health and Education Senate Committee a day after the House of Delegates struck down a pair of identical measures in committee.
The Senate bills, SB617 and SB618, passed on party-line votes a week after Democrats took control of the Senate and reorganized several committees, including Health and Education.
The Senate bills seek to add abortion procedures to health care coverage and to repeal a required ultrasound law for women seeking an abortion.
“It’s nobody’s damn business,” said Senate Majority Leader and committee member Richard L. Saslaw (D-Dist. 35). “The state has no business injecting their big nose in anybody’s business.”
The issue has the state legislature split, as both measures attempt to overturn laws that were passed in 2012 and 2013 under a Republican-controlled General Assembly.
Senate committee Democrats say they doubt their bills will pass in the House.
“This is about the 30th year we’ve been dealing with this issue,” Saslaw said. “Quite frankly, I don’t know when it’s going to end.”
With Republicans controlling the House of Delegates by 67-32 vote, the Senate bills are likely to be dead on arrival. Earlier this week, a House companion bill to remove the ultrasound requirement was tabled in subcommittee.
Re: Democrats take control of Virginia Senate
Posted by:
Reality
()
Date: February 20, 2014 09:47AM
"Senate committee Democrats say they doubt their bills will pass in the House...With Republicans controlling the House of Delegates by 67-32 vote, the Senate bills are likely to be dead on arrival"
This is as it should be - less legislation = good for all.
This is as it should be - less legislation = good for all.