2011.12.17
A note about today’s story on the Senate lawsuit
An important detail was omitted from today’s story about the lawsuit challenging the extent of Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling’s voting authority in the Senate.
I noted that Democrats and Republicans reached a power-sharing deal after the 1995 elections produced a 20-20 split in the chamber, with Democratic Lt. Gov. Don Beyer holding the tie-breaking vote. The guts of the agreement remained in place after Republican John Hager was elected lieutenant governor in 1997. But I failed to note that, by the time Hager was sworn into office, the Senate no longer was evenly divided and the power-sharing deal was modified.
Gov. Jim Gilmore, who led a Republican sweep of Virginia’s statewide offices in 1997, announced in early January 1998 that he would appoint Democratic state Sen. Charles Waddell of Loudoun County to a post in his administration. Waddell resigned and the Senate convened on Jan. 14, 1998 with 39 elected members — 20 of them Republicans. Six days later, Republican Bill Mims, now a state Supreme Court justice, won a special election to complete Waddell’s Senate term. That gave Republicans a 21-19 Senate majority and made Hager less of a pivotal figure.
Republicans forced concessions in the power-sharing arrangement to reflect the new alignment, but Democrats retained leadership of five Senate committees. And the budget-writing Senate Finance Committee had Republican and Democratic co-chairs. That arrangement remained in place through the 1999 elections, when the entire Senate stood for election and the GOP emerged with a slim majority.
– Michael Sluss
