Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

The Speaker Rules

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by

Dick Hall-Sizemore
in

Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn

By Dick Hall-Sizemore

The Speaker of the House of Delegates is the most powerful position in the legislature. One of her most potent tools is the power to assign members to committees. Eileen Filler-Corn has again wielded that power.

Members usually retain their committee assignments during the two years of their terms. However, circumstances leading up to this session led to an unusual mid-term shuffling of committee assignments.

The first circumstance was the election of three new Delegates to fill the seats vacated by Joseph Lindsey, D-Norfolk, Jennifer Carrol Foy, D-Prince William, and Chris Collins, R-Frederick. Newly-elected members do not automatically inherit the committee assignments of their predecessors.

The second circumstance was Filler-Corn’s stripping Republican delegates Mark Cole (Spotsylvania), Ronnie Campbell (Rockbridge), and Dave LaRock (Loudoun) of one of their committee assignments in response to their urging Vice President Mike Pence to nullify Virginia’s electoral votes.

Particularly hard hit was Cole. He lost his assignment to Privileges and Elections. For several years he had chaired that committee and led actions to tighten registration and voting requirements. He has been one of the most partisan members and could be caustic in his remarks on the floor. Campbell lost his seat on the Courts of Justice Committee and LaRock was kicked off the Transportation Committee. Neither of the Delegates received another assignment to compensate for the lost ones.

The committee assignments for one new member were eyebrow-raising.  The Speaker assigned Candi King of Prince William to the Finance, Privileges and Elections, and Public Safety committees. The Finance Committee, which handles tax legislation, is a plum assignment, especially for a freshman. Each of the other two freshmen, one Democrat and one Republican, got assigned to only two committees, neither considered a highly sought-after assignment.

The Virginia Public Access Project has a nice summary of the assignment changes here.

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26 responses to “The Speaker Rules”

  1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
    Nancy_Naive

    “Ya know this thing I’ve been working on for years? Well, either I lied about how broken it was, or I lied about how well I fixed it, but if you’ll let me, I’ll lie about it again.”

  2. djrippert Avatar
    djrippert

    Typically slimy Democrat playing typically slimy Democrat games. Fulla-Crap is the same liar who claimed there was no documentation regarding a statue removal contract to avoid scrutiny of her role in awarding that contract.

  3. Nancy_Naive Avatar
    Nancy_Naive

    “Ya know this thing I’ve been working on for years? Well, either I lied about how broken it was, or I lied about how well I fixed it, but if you’ll let me, I’ll lie about it again.”

  4. TooManyTaxes Avatar
    TooManyTaxes

    For years, I heard my Democratic friends (and my journalist foes) complain about the games played by the GOP-controlled Senate or House. Yet, here we go again.

    I’d be a bit more sympathetic if the Democrats took a stand against religious bigotry and attempted suppression of First Amendment rights (speech and petitioning the government for redress of grievances) that the VP-elected did. Let’s see, advocacy against 2nd Amendment rights to own and bear firearms is OK, but advocacy against certain rights “found in penumbras and emanations” isn’t. With Trump all but gone, Harris is the most dangerous person in America. Don’t worry, you won’t find any discussion of this in the Media. Some suppression of rights is OK.

    1. Steve Haner Avatar
      Steve Haner

      Shame on Speaker Howell for failing to punish any Virginia legislators who accepted or disseminated the baseless and seditious claims that our 2016 election was changed by foreign interference. Sorry, same level of delusion in my mind….

      LaRock was also punished for a reference in a Tweet to the “colored community.” Failed to say BIPOC, which would have been okay? Never sure….

      Wait! Doesn’t the National Popular Vote idea Filler-Corn voted for disenfranchise Virginia voters and interfere with the Constitutional process for electing a prez? I think the letter to Pence was idiotic, but no more than that.

  5. TooManyTaxes Avatar
    TooManyTaxes

    For years, I heard my Democratic friends (and my journalist foes) complain about the games played by the GOP-controlled Senate or House. Yet, here we go again.

    I’d be a bit more sympathetic if the Democrats took a stand against religious bigotry and attempted suppression of First Amendment rights (speech and petitioning the government for redress of grievances) that the VP-elected did. Let’s see, advocacy against 2nd Amendment rights to own and bear firearms is OK, but advocacy against certain rights “found in penumbras and emanations” isn’t. With Trump all but gone, Harris is the most dangerous person in America. Don’t worry, you won’t find any discussion of this in the Media. Some suppression of rights is OK.

    1. Steve Haner Avatar
      Steve Haner

      Shame on Speaker Howell for failing to punish any Virginia legislators who accepted or disseminated the baseless and seditious claims that our 2016 election was changed by foreign interference. Sorry, same level of delusion in my mind….

      LaRock was also punished for a reference in a Tweet to the “colored community.” Failed to say BIPOC, which would have been okay? Never sure….

      Wait! Doesn’t the National Popular Vote idea Filler-Corn voted for disenfranchise Virginia voters and interfere with the Constitutional process for electing a prez? I think the letter to Pence was idiotic, but no more than that.

  6. djrippert Avatar
    djrippert

    Typically slimy Democrat playing typically slimy Democrat games. Fulla-Crap is the same liar who claimed there was no documentation regarding a statue removal contract to avoid scrutiny of her role in awarding that contract.

  7. CrazyJD Avatar
    CrazyJD

    Dick, You don’t really opine on the three delegates removal. I’d be interested in what you think of it.

    1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
      Nancy_Naive

      Well, for one of them, lying has consequences. He can join the Quacus.

    2. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      Sorry it has taken me awhile to get back to this.

      Quite frankly, I am torn. What the three did was outrageous–urging the Vice President to reject their state’s electoral votes (which he did not have authority to do) because they objected to changes in the election laws enacted by the GA last session. They were trying to undermine confidence in the Commonwealth’s electoral process, thus not showing a lot of loyalty to their state. There should be some consequences. On the other hand, the Speaker’s actions seem petty and high-handed, although prior Speakers have yanked committee assignments for less serious transgressions.

      1. Steve Haner Avatar
        Steve Haner

        Such as voting to raise taxes!

  8. CrazyJD Avatar
    CrazyJD

    Dick, You don’t really opine on the three delegates removal. I’d be interested in what you think of it.

    1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
      Nancy_Naive

      Well, for one of them, lying has consequences. He can join the Quacus.

    2. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      Sorry it has taken me awhile to get back to this.

      Quite frankly, I am torn. What the three did was outrageous–urging the Vice President to reject their state’s electoral votes (which he did not have authority to do) because they objected to changes in the election laws enacted by the GA last session. They were trying to undermine confidence in the Commonwealth’s electoral process, thus not showing a lot of loyalty to their state. There should be some consequences. On the other hand, the Speaker’s actions seem petty and high-handed, although prior Speakers have yanked committee assignments for less serious transgressions.

      1. Steve Haner Avatar
        Steve Haner

        Such as voting to raise taxes!

  9. CrazyJD Avatar
    CrazyJD

    So Nancy, he’s not allowed to say what he thinks? Perhaps you should consider the consequences of your thinking and where it winds up.

    1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
      Nancy_Naive

      Yes, he’s allowed. And he’s also allowed to be punished for it. Damnable lies, eh?

      There is a reason the show was called “Truth or Consequences”.

      Would you advise a client to repeat a lie? Why not?

  10. CrazyJD Avatar
    CrazyJD

    So Nancy, he’s not allowed to say what he thinks? Perhaps you should consider the consequences of your thinking and where it winds up.

    1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
      Nancy_Naive

      Yes, he’s allowed. And he’s also allowed to be punished for it. Damnable lies, eh?

      There is a reason the show was called “Truth or Consequences”.

      Would you advise a client to repeat a lie? Why not?

  11. V N Avatar
    V N

    I hope that she gets sued again. This was a stupid power play, unnecessary and also lost voices for those people and representatives. She needs to go since she has proven abuse of power for a long time.
    I wouldn’t have done this – let the taxpaying voters deal with it. If someone is this blame petty, I need to them to work on real issues and they need to be ditched out on their ears when they play games rather than work for us.

  12. Steve Haner Avatar
    Steve Haner

    Committee assignments are a major source of any Speaker’s authority. In other legislatures, the parties sometimes name their own choices for those slots, but in Virginia the Speaker has total control. Politics ain’t beanbag.

    The letter to Pence was a bonehead stunt, and note that only 3 of the almost 65 sitting R legislators signed it — you know they were probably all asked. Chase probably thought it too weak! The reality right now is that probably half of the likely Republican primary vote, half of the county committee rank and file, half of the donors are still in love with Trump and will remain so for a long time. Those three were playing to that gallery, and probably would do so again.

    Chase, on the other hand, faces an actual censure vote. The resolution is pending in Senate P&E. Just as with the impeachment in Washington, the real purpose is to force all the R senators to “go on the board” and either vote for or against it, pissing off half of their voters either way they go. It is a classic political wedge. As Phil Gramm would say, if you are going to catch hell no matter what you do, do what you think is right.

    Not sure how the Republicans put this back together. I’m not ready to abandon the party of Lincoln, Teddy R and Reagan and so many others I admire, including many Virginians of my generation. Trump was the late comer, a chameleon who played politics for personal gain for decades. Everybody needs to understand 1) Trump lost and 2) he lost for some very specific reasons and 3) he is not coming back and needs to just fade from the scene. While so many think he is the Second Coming, that the election was indeed stolen, no conversation is possible. And — more important — no effective response to the leftward drift is possible. The refuseniks are helping their enemies.

    Peter will jump in and give me a lecture on the origin of that word, and I am misappropriating it a bit, but I like it. Refusenik — the perfect word for the tens of millions (and it is that many) who refuse to believe that America would fail to re-elect such a wonderful, perfect president….

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      I suspect that Filler-Corn chose to strip some committee assignments as a way to punish them rather than use a censure motion, which would have dragged the process out and been a publicly divisive action. Her way was quick and less public.

  13. Steve Haner Avatar
    Steve Haner

    Committee assignments are a major source of any Speaker’s authority. In other legislatures, the parties sometimes name their own choices for those slots, but in Virginia the Speaker has total control. Politics ain’t beanbag.

    The letter to Pence was a bonehead stunt, and note that only 3 of the almost 65 sitting R legislators signed it — you know they were probably all asked. Chase probably thought it too weak! The reality right now is that probably half of the likely Republican primary vote, half of the county committee rank and file, half of the donors are still in love with Trump and will remain so for a long time. Those three were playing to that gallery, and probably would do so again.

    Chase, on the other hand, faces an actual censure vote. The resolution is pending in Senate P&E. Just as with the impeachment in Washington, the real purpose is to force all the R senators to “go on the board” and either vote for or against it, pissing off half of their voters either way they go. It is a classic political wedge. As Phil Gramm would say, if you are going to catch hell no matter what you do, do what you think is right.

    Not sure how the Republicans put this back together. I’m not ready to abandon the party of Lincoln, Teddy R and Reagan and so many others I admire, including many Virginians of my generation. Trump was the late comer, a chameleon who played politics for personal gain for decades. Everybody needs to understand 1) Trump lost and 2) he lost for some very specific reasons and 3) he is not coming back and needs to just fade from the scene. While so many think he is the Second Coming, that the election was indeed stolen, no conversation is possible. And — more important — no effective response to the leftward drift is possible. The refuseniks are helping their enemies.

    Peter will jump in and give me a lecture on the origin of that word, and I am misappropriating it a bit, but I like it. Refusenik — the perfect word for the tens of millions (and it is that many) who refuse to believe that America would fail to re-elect such a wonderful, perfect president….

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      I suspect that Filler-Corn chose to strip some committee assignments as a way to punish them rather than use a censure motion, which would have dragged the process out and been a publicly divisive action. Her way was quick and less public.

  14. V N Avatar
    V N

    I hope that she gets sued again. This was a stupid power play, unnecessary and also lost voices for those people and representatives. She needs to go since she has proven abuse of power for a long time.
    I wouldn’t have done this – let the taxpaying voters deal with it. If someone is this blame petty, I need to them to work on real issues and they need to be ditched out on their ears when they play games rather than work for us.

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