THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 17, 1995 TAG: 9509170052
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: ELECTION '95
POWER AND THE PARTIES
SOURCE: BY WARREN FISKE AND ROBERT LITTLE, STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Long : 109 lines
There's an unwritten rule in the House of Delegates that any new and ambitious legislator learns on the first day: Don't mess with Norfolk.
That's largely because Democrat Thomas W. Moss is one of five representatives from the port city. Moss, 66, happens to be speaker of the House, a position that empowers him to help or hinder the career of any delegate.
As speaker, Moss makes all the committee assignments. He can confer instant clout on a friend by granting a prestigious seat on the Appropriations Committee, which doles state money, or condemn a foe to the Interstate Cooperation Committee, which hardly ever meets.
``When you're in the position of speaker, you can usually get what you want,'' Moss said. ``I want to make sure that Norfolk gets its fair share of the budget.''
But Moss' days in power may be ending. If Republicans gain a majority of seats in this fall's elections, they are expected to install Del. S. Vance Wilkins Jr., R-Amherst, as speaker. Moss would become just another lawmaker seeking Wilkins' good graces.
Perhaps no other locality has as much clout at stake this fall as Norfolk, political consultants say. The city's five delegates and two state senators are all Democrats who have been in office an average of 18 years. By virtue of their seniority and their membership in the majority party, they hold four committee chairmanships and are in line for a fifth.
Those positions would shift if Republicans gain a majority in the General Assembly for the first time by gaining three seats in the 100-member House and three in the 40-member Senate.
Clout - a legislator's ability to work his will in the General Assembly - was not a topic that came up often in a series of conversations that The Virginian-Pilot conducted this summer with groups of voters from around the state. The participants were far more concerned with learning about the candidates' visions for creating jobs and ensuring that quality education is available to all. They complained that the Democrats' and Republicans' obsession with winning power stands in the way of progress.
But when a candidate becomes a legislator seeking to make a difference and solve the state's problems, party affiliation is synonymous with clout. The rules of the General Assembly are clear: The party in power controls the plum assignments.
In addition to the speakership, Norfolk controls three committee chairmanships in the House.
Moss runs the Rules Committee, which sets legislative procedures each year.
Del. George H. Heilig chairs the Corporations, Insurance and Banking Committee, which oversees business regulations.
Del. Howard E. Copeland runs the Chesapeake and Its Tributaries panel, which is influential in environmental matters.
And, should Democrats retain their majority in the House, Del. William P. Robinson Jr. is to become chairman of the Roads and Internal Navigation Committee, which oversees transportation.
Committee chairmen deeply influence legislation. They determine when bills are presented to their committees. They can scuttle legislation by not allowing bills to be brought up for committee consideration.
Norfolk also wields significant influence in the state Senate. Democrat Stanley C. Walker is chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. He occupies coveted seats on the Finance Committee, which sets taxing and spending priorities; and the Steering Committee, which makes committee assignments to other senators.
Walker also is president pro tempore of the Senate: He's in charge when the lieutenant governor is absent.
Moss said the collective clout of the delegation virtually assures that no one tampers with Norfolk. For example, he said the group last year pressured Gov. George F. Allen into quickly rescinding a proposal to cut funding for a community college campus in downtown Norfolk.
``There's a tremendous amount at stake,'' Moss said. ``The delegation has always made sure Norfolk gets its fair share of the pie.''
Republican Jay Sherill Jr., a Norfolk hotel owner who is opposing Moss, said there's a downside to clout that citizens should consider. He argued that Moss, for example, has become more accountable to the Democratic Party and special interests than to his constituents.
Sherill also questioned whether Norfolk's Democratic legislators have had any impact solving the real problems facing the city. ``The middle class of Norfolk has left, our public schools are failing and businesses are leaving,'' he said.
Outside Norfolk, South Hampton Roads boasts only one committee chairman. Del. J. Paul Councill, D-Suffolk, leads the House Education Committee.
It's difficult to identify which Republicans would lead certain committees if their party comes into rule. For one thing, even if their party wins control, some senior Republicans could still lose re-election bids. Also, a few ranking Republicans would be in a position to choose among the chairmanships of several committees.
That said, GOP strategists say two South Hampton Roads Republicans would be in line for chairman seats. Sen. Mark L. Earley of Chesapeake probably would take over the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee. With eight years' experience, Earley ranks third in seniority among Senate Republicans.
And Del. Leo C. Waldrup Jr. of Virginia Beach, with four years' experience, could take over the House Agriculture Committee. Although three Republicans on the panel have seniority over Waldrup, each would have claim to a more powerful chairmanship. ILLUSTRATION: Graphics
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KEYWORDS: ELECTION VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES RACE by CNB