Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 29, 1993 TAG: 9303290393
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Of the 21 state legislators who represented Western Virginia in the House of Delegates in 1989, no more than 8 will be back next year.
Death, defeat, retirement and redistricting have claimed the rest.
That's a big turnover - and one that could increase, because the entire House of Delegates will be up for re-election this fall and some legislators haven't announced their re-election plans.
But it's nothing new. The same sort of turnover in Western Virginia's delegation occured around the time of redistricting in the early 1980s.
On the Senate side, there's also been turnover, although not on such a big scale. Of the nine senators who represented Western Virginia in 1989, fiveremain. The Senate won't be up for re-election again until 1993.
So what's it mean for Western Virginia? Nothing good, say the legislators who remain.
"The loss of seniority has been devastating for Southside and Southwest Virginia," says House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton. That's because the seniority has been one of the key ways that rural Virginians have been able to offset the superior numbers of suburban and urban legislators from the fast-growing eastern part of the state.
But that advantage is slipping, say Cranwell and other western legislators.
"I think you've got to look at what happened in this last session of the General Assembly," Cranwell says. "Northern Virginia got $183 million for transportation bonds, while the Toms Creek [coal plant] project in Southwest Virginia was shot down."
Likewise, Cranwell's effort to come up with extra money for poorer school systems - mostly in Western Virginia - was defeated at the hands of urban legislators in the Senate.
The passage of the one-gun-a-month limit also shows the urban and suburban tilt of the General Assembly, Cranwell says, although that may simply reflect sheer demographic power.
The effects of Western Virginia's loss of seniority are harder to measure, although some try.
"If A.L. Philpott were still alive, and still Speaker, I think you've have seen a more definitive resolution of the school disparity money and more progress on U.S. 58 funding," says retiring Del. Steve Agee, R-Salem. "But that's all speculative."
The roll call of turnover
Here's who represented Western Virginia in the General Assembly in 1989, when they were elected and what's happened to the,:
\ HOUSE\
A.L. Philpott, D-Bassett. Elected 1957. Speaker of the House; Chairman, House Rules Committee. DIED, replaced by Ward Armstrong, D-Stanleytown.
Lacey Putney, I-Bedford. Elected 1961.
Don McGlothlin, D-Grundy. Elected 1967. Chairman, House Roads Committee. DEFEATED, replaced by Jackie Stump, D-Oakwood.
Ford Quillen, D-Gate City. Elected 1969. Chairman, House Privileges & Elections Committee. RETIRING.
Jeff Stafford, R-Pearisburg. Elected 1971. DIED, replaced by Barbara Stafford, who retired when the district was carved up in redistricting.
Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton. Elected 1971. Chairman, House Finance Committee. Since named House Majority Leader.
Bill Wilson, D-Covington. Elected 1973. DEFEATED, replaced by Bo Trumbo, who moved to the Senate when the district was carved up in redistricting.
Vic Thomas, D-Roanoke. Elected 1973. Chairman, House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee.
Vance Wilkins, R-Amherst. Elected 1977. Since named House Minority Leader.
Chip Woodrum, D-Roanoke. Elected 1979. Since named Chairman, House Claims Committee.
Bill Green, D-Lebanon. Elected 1979. RETIRED, replaced by Bud Phillips, D-Coeburn.
Steve Agee, R-Salem. Elected 1981. RETIRING.
G.C. Jennings, D-Marion. Elected 1981.
Joan Munford, D-Blacksburg. Elected 1981. Chairwoman, House Labor & Commerce Committee. RETIRING.
John Brown, R-Bristol. Elected 1982. RETIRED.
Bob Dobyns, D-Pulaski. Elected 1982. RETIRED.
Emmett Hanger, R-Mount Solon. Elected 1982. DEFEATED, replaced by Creigh Deeds, D-Hot Springs.
Willard Finney, D-Rocky Mount. Elected 1982.
Roscoe Reynolds, D-Martinsville. Elected 1985.
Tom Jackson, D-Hillsville. Elected 1987.
Jack Kennedy, D-Norton. Elected 1987. REDISTRICTED seat eliminated.
Who represented Western Virginia in the Senate since 1989 and who's no\ SENATE\
John Buchanan, D-Wise. Elected 1971. Chairman, Senate General Laws Committee. DIED, replaced by Jack Kennedy, who was defeated when redistricting placed him in a district with another senator.
Virgil Goode, D-Rocky Mount. Elected 1973. Chairman, Senate Local Government Committee.
Madison Marye, D-Shawsville. Electe 1973. Since named Chairman, Senate General Laws Committee.
Daniel Bird, D-Wytheville. Elected 1975. RETIRED, replaced by Jack Reasor, D-Bluefield.
Elliot Schewel, D-Lynchburg. Elected 1975. Since named Chairman, Senate Education and Health Committee.
Buzz Emick, D-Fincastle. Elected 1975. Chairman, Senate Rehabilitation & Social Services Committee. RETIRED, replaced by Bo Trumbo, R-Fincastle.
Frank Nolen, D-New Hope. Elected 1977. Since named Chairman, Senate Rehabilitation & Social Services Committee.
Granger Macfarlane, D-Roanoke. Elected 1983. DEFEATED, replaced by Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke.
Bill Wampler, R-Bristol. Elected 1987.
by CNB