THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 10, 1995 TAG: 9502100533
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVID M. POOLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Long : 115 lines
Democrats pulled off a parliamentary coup in the House of Delegates on Thursday, trapping Republicans into repudiating Gov. George F. Allen's proposed budget cuts.
Allen has said all along that he wanted the full Assembly to vote on his budget and his tax-cut proposal, both of which were killed in committee last week.
In a surprise gambit, the Democrats granted half his wish. They brought Allen's budget - but not his tax cuts - to a floor vote, practically daring Republicans to vote for it. Not a single one did.
``They said they wanted a vote,'' crowed Del. Jay W. DeBoer, a Petersburg Democrat. ``They stepped up to the plate and fell over swinging.''
Stunned Republicans labeled the vote a sham because it did not involve Allen's proposed tax relief for individuals and businesses.
``Voting on the governor's budget cuts without the corresponding tax cuts is like shooting blanks,'' Allen spokesman Ken Stroupe said in a written statement that called the action ``pathetic'' and a ``gimmick.''
But Democrats claimed that Thursday's vote was a clear signal that Allen had misread the public when he embarked on a crusade to slash state government.
``This was designed to illustrate the almost universal repudiation of what the governor has been talking about,'' said House Majority Leader C. Richard Cranwell of Roanoke County.
``When you can't get a single Republican to vote for the proposals, it shows just how out of touch these proposals are with the people,'' said Watkins M. Abbitt Jr., D-Appomattox.
The Democrats' gambit caught Republicans off guard.
In fact, the scheduled budget debates on the House and Senate floors appeared so routine that Allen was not even in town. The Republican chief executive traveled to Washington for a congressional hearing, leaving instructions that GOP lawmakers should not bother resurrecting his tax and budget cuts because he planned to use his veto power to refashion the budget.
Things went as expected in the Senate, which voted 33-6 to approve a start-to-finish Democratic rewrite of Allen's budget.
But House Democrats were waiting to spring a trap that had been choreographed and rehearsed.
First, Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert B. Ball Sr. of Henrico County lulled everyone with a four-page speech explaining how Democrats had restored programs in human services, education and law enforcement that Allen had wanted to cut.
When Ball moved that the House accept the committee's changes to the Allen budget, Cranwell sprang out of his chair.
The Democratic floor leader offered a substitute motion that the House accept Allen's budget as the governor had presented it - minus the tax cuts.
Cranwell gazed across the chamber and reminded Republicans how loudly they had protested when Democrats killed Allen's tax and spending plan without giving it a chance on the floor.
``I say be careful what you ask for, because you might get it,'' Cranwell said with a devilish grin. ``Now is the time for you to say to your governor, `You are right,' or `You are wrong.' ''
Before Republicans could respond, Speaker Thomas W. Moss Jr. recognized another Democrat.
``Mr. Speaker,'' DeBoer said, ``I move the pending question.''
Republicans were snared in a flawless parliamentary trap. Under House rules, the pending question motion cuts off all debate. Even the motion itself cannot be debated.
House Minority Leader S. Vance Wilkins Jr. - looking like he had been kicked in the stomach - asked for a recess so Republicans could huddle behind closed doors.
Moss denied the motion.
Republicans tried several other procedural manuevers, but Moss ruled against them. They were stuck with the bitter choice of voting for unpopular budget cuts or abandoning their governor.
Offering the Allen bill was no risk for the Democrats, who control the House 52-47, with one independent.
``There ain't nothing like a worm on a hot rock squirming,'' Cranwell hooted.
No one voted for Allen's spending cuts.
Ten Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the cuts.
The remaining 37 Republicans sought safe haven by evoking ``Rule 69,'' an abstention used when a lawmaker has a conflict of interest.
``I assume the reason why they abstained under the conflict rule is because they have a conflict with their governor,'' Cranwell quipped.
Democrats were not content cornering Republicans on Allen's plan. They also engineered votes on restoring funds for the most controversial of Allen's proposed cuts - such as dropout-prevention grants, mental health services and home-delivered meals for the elderly.
Each drew a smattering of GOP votes in opposition. But not a single GOP lawmaker voted against restoring funds to cooperative extension services and local police departments.
``They were like deer caught in the headlights of good government,'' said Del. Ward L. Armstrong, D-Martinsville.
The House budget passed, 73-24.
Democrats had a belly full of fire after the votes, which they said will defuse Allen's attempt to paint them as tax-cut obstructionists in November, when all 140 legislative seats will be on the ballot.
``Their spin people can do anything they want with it,'' DeBoer said. ``In order to be willing to give the kind of tax relief that the governor wanted to give, you had to swallow this one giant toad. And not even Republican legislators were willing to swallow it.''
Republicans argued that the vote on spending cuts meant nothing because there was no chance to make changes or even debate.
``If we'd had a chance to debate it, then I probably would have voted for the governor's budget,'' said Del. Robert F. McDonnell, R-Virginia Beach.
``It's not a matter of support,'' said Del. John Watkins, a Chesterfield County Republican. ``It's a matter of paddling a canoe upstream right now. We don't have the votes. This will play out in November.
``The only thing we proved today is that the Democrats have 52 votes in the House of Delegates.'' MEMO: Staff writers Robert Little and Warren Fiske contributed to this story.
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