by Dick Hall-Sizemore
The potential warfare that is simmering near Crimea may pale in comparison to the war that is threatening to break out in the Virginia General Assembly.
First, a little background. During the course of a year, a governor makes hundreds of appointments to various agency boards, boards of visitors, etc. These are to fill vacancies, reappoint persons whose terms have expired, or make new appointments to replace incumbents whose terms have expired. These appointments must be confirmed by the next regular session of the General Assembly.
When a new governor comes in, there is the potential for conflict, but normally the General Assembly confirms the appointments of the former governor, even if there has been a change in which party has captured the governor’s mansion.
Currently, there are six Senate Joint Resolutions sitting in the House Rules Committee listing appointments made by Governor Northam during the interim between the 2021 and 2022 Sessions. All were agreed to unanimously by the Senate. Reportedly, midnight today is the deadline for the House to take action on these resolutions. If no action is taken, the positions automatically become vacant. (There must be some obscure rule somewhere that sets midnight today as the deadline, but I can’t find it. Steve probably knows what it is.)
According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the House Republican leadership informed Democrats today that they did not intend to bring the names up for confirmation by the deadline. That would leave approximately 1,000 positions available for Governor Youngkin to fill. This action seems to be in retaliation for Senate Democrats blocking Youngkin’s nomination of Andrew Wheeler as Secretary of Natural Resources.
Not surprisingly, Democrats are furious. They have, in effect, reminded the House Republicans that they still control the Senate by saying they are prepared to “fight fire with fire” by declining to confirm Youngkin’s appointments. Theoretically, that impasse could continue into the 2023 session with Democrats declining to confirm any appointments made by Youngkin during the 2022-2023 interim.
As Mr. Haner would say, this may call for two bags of popcorn.
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