Republicans block health insurance expansion
The environment wasn’t the only victim of yesterday’s veto session - House Republicans also squashed funding for a public-private partnership that would have helped provide health insurance to low-income workers employed by small businesses.
In the video below, Del. Brian Moran explains how the pilot program would have helped lower insurance costs for all Virginians.
The amendment was defeated by a 43-53 vote.
Bill Howell: Above Politics?
As embattled House Speaker Bill Howell clings tenuously to his shrinking majority, he has attempted to lay preemptive blame for Virginia’s transportation crisis on Democrats - before a plan has even been introduced.
You’ll excuse us if his complaints ring hollow, since Bill Howell is no stranger to playing politics when he lacks the will to offer a solution.
Bill Howell on fixing transportation:
“‘It makes you wonder if, in fact, this is all to put it off to the 2009 election’ and try to use the issue to attack GOP House candidates, Howell said.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch, 4/3/08]
Bill Howell on property tax relief:
“House Speaker Bill Howell admitted to Chamber of Commerce leaders last month that a plan to discount property taxes would penalize Virginia’s businesses and harm its communities. In the same breath, however, Howell said he would do nothing to stop a bad idea from becoming law. His reasoning: ‘My guys are up for election next year.’” [Virginian-Pilot, 2/10/08]
“Republicans would not stand in the way of the proposal, Howell said, because doing so would be used against by political opponents. ‘You’ve got to look at the politics of it,’ he told a crowd of about 250 gathered at the Library of Virginia. ‘My guys are up for election next year.’” [Sun Gazette, 1/25/08]
“The Speaker of the House came to us and said, ‘We’d like you to kill this bill in the Senate.’ There was a bill in the House as well. One of my guys stood up and said, ‘You’re going to kill it in the House too, right?’ ‘Oh, no, we’re up for re-election in 2009, we can’t vote against a tax cut.’ And sure enough, they passed it.” [Sen. Tommy Norment, Virginia Gazette, 3/22/08]
The Floor Flipper Phenomenon
This year’s increased scrutiny of committee meetings has created an interesting new creature in the House of Delegates - the “Floor Flipper.”
Floor Flippers vote for a bill in committee (often overwhelmingly), but later vote against the same bill when it arrives on the House floor.
That’s what happened last week to Del. Chuck Caputo’s HB 1876, a bill to ban teenagers from talking on their cell phones while driving. As The Washington Post noticed, 11 Republicans who voted to report the bill from the House Science and Technology committee later voted with Republican Leader Morgan Griffith to table it.
So what gives? The Post reports that Griffith denies any partisan motives, but there seems to be a trend developing:
13 Republicans who voted for Del. David Bulova’s HB 2485 in the House General Laws committee voted to send it off to Appropriations once it arrived on the House floor.
Earlier, Del. Dave Poisson’s HB 1808 narrowly survived its second reading (five Republicans floor-flipped), only to be sent back to the Transportation committee when eight Republicans floor-flipped. It had initially passed with a 17-5 vote.
And Del. Kris Amundson’s HB 2837 was referred to the Rules committee on an unrecorded voice vote, despite eight Republicans on the Education committee who initially voted for it.
Currently, Dels. Gear, Saxman, and Hugo lead the Floor Flippers with three flips each (since they twice voted to send back HB 1808 after first supporting it in committee). Dels. Cosgrove, Rapp, Reid, Crockett-Stark, Rust, Ed Scott, Welch, and Fralin are close behind at two flips each.
Minimum wage in the Senate
Stem cell research defeated
The Health subcommittee also sent two bills authorizing stem cell research at Virginia universities - Del. Shuler’s HB 1768 and Del. Moran’s HB 2857 - to indefinite limbo in the Stem Cell Research Commission, which AP writer Bob Lewis points out is “unlikely to take it up in time to pass this year.”
Senate opposes gerrymandering
The Senate of Virginia passed Sen. Creigh Deeds’ SJ 352 today, sending his independent redistricting measure to the House on a 23-17 vote (pending a correction request from Sen. Chichester).
We’ve had some technical difficulties with the streaming video, but hopefully will be able to post the floor debate later this afternoon.
HR 48 defeated
Del. Plum’s HR 48, a measure to require all subcommittee votes to be recorded, was just defeated in a 59-39 vote on the House floor. Audio clips from the debate will be posted this afternoon.
UPDATE: The amended vote is 57-41; Dels. Johnson and Phillips signed slips to change their initial vote after mistakenly voting against the resolution.
Hargrove coverage
HR 48 coverage
News and commentary on Del. Plum’s resolution to require recorded subcommittee votes:
The Roanoke Times
Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
Associated Press
7 West (Del. Kris Amundson)
Bearing Drift
Brian Patton
Not Larry Sabato
The Virginia Progressive
Vivian Paige
Waldo Jaquith
Privacy Protection Coverage
Stem Cell Research Coverage
Minimum Wage Coverage
Welcome
Welcome to Assembly Access, your source for news and updates from Virginia Democrats on the 2007 session of the state legislature.
