Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 17, 1995 TAG: 9511170072
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
``They're in the process now of talking, and I think there's a real recognition of the fact that there has to be a degree of sharing,'' Wilder said. ``I don't think you're going to have the status quo prevail.''
An agreement should be worked out in two to three weeks, Wilder said in a speech to the Richmond Bar Association about last week's legislative elections.
``The stalemate will be broken,'' said Wilder, a Democrat who spent 17 years in the Senate and then presided for four years as lieutenant governor. Wilder told reporters he has talked with some people involved in the discussions.
Democrats lost two Senate seats in last week's legislative elections to wind up tied 20-20 with Republicans. Democrats kept their 52-47 edge in the House of Delegates, which has one independent.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Don Beyer, who has a tie-breaking vote in the Senate, said he hasn't heard any Democrats talk about sharing power.
``I know of personally no one among the Senate Democrats that wants to yield power rightly assigned by the citizens of Virginia just in order to be nice,'' Beyer said. ``The people of Virginia want clear and decisive leadership.''
Fairfax Sen. Joseph Gartlan Jr., a candidate for Democratic leader, also said he knew of no negotiations toward a power-sharing agreement.
``I've heard no such conversations,'' Gartlan said. ``I'm sure individuals are talking.''
Gartlan said he believed one party has to be in charge.
``A legislative body is one human institution that must have a focus of authority,'' he said. ``You can only go so far in running its business by consensus.''
Republicans meet Nov. 27 to elect a floor leader. Democrats are to meet Dec. 1, Gartlan said.
Democrats could win an outright majority if Sen. Jane Woods, a moderate Republican from Fairfax, leaves the GOP.
Sen. Virgil Goode, a conservative Democrat from Rocky Mount, has been wooed by the GOP for years, but he said he has no plans to switch parties at this time.
In an evenly split Senate, Wilder said, he could envision one party taking the Senate majority leader's job and the other filling the post of president pro tempore. The parties also could divide up the committee chairmanships, with Republicans having the majority on some committees, he told reporters.
by CNB