The Republican Power Grab

November 22, 2011

Note: The Progressive Point will be on Thanksgiving vacation until Monday, November 28th, in order to consume large amounts of turkey and properly prepare for Saturday's UVA-VT game. Happy Thanksgiving to our readers!

The Senate Democratic Caucus yesterday asserted the 20-20 partisan split in the State Senate should result in a power sharing agreement and announced their intention to file suit to prevent Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling from voting on the organization of the Senate.

The Progressive Point: On November 8th, Virginia voters elected equal numbers of Democrats and Republican to the State Senate. Now, Republicans are attempting to ignore the voters and seize power in order to force through their extreme ideological agenda. This power grab is an appalling overreach that ignores Virginia tradition and law. Republicans are trying to overrule the will of the people and claim a majority they did not earn. Virginia's leaders must respect the rule of law and the decision of the voters and establish power sharing in the State Senate.

What the conservative power grab would mean for Virginia:

• Senate Republican leader Tommy Norment declared his intention to reopen legislative redistricting in order to redraw his district to his own liking and punish a neighboring Democratic Senator. (The Virginia Gazette)
• The State Senate has been the last line of defense for Virginians against bizarre and extreme conservative legislation. A Senate led by an illegitimate Republican majority would likely approve the radical legislation coming from the House of Delegates. Already, Delegate Bob Marshall has prefiled legislation that would:
  • establish legal protections for fertilized eggs a la Mississippi's rejected "personhood" amendment (The Washington Post)
  • eliminate state funding for the Dulles Rail extension if the project includes a project labor agreement (See our fact check on PLAs here)

Tweet it: No majority? No problem! Republicans in the State Senate plan to ignore your vote. http://bit.ly/rMefdw via @ProgressVA

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