THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, January 11, 1996             TAG: 9601110348
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY ROBERT LITTLE, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                           LENGTH: Medium:   86 lines

SESSION OPENS WITH DETENTE SENATE TRIES TO DIVIDE POWER THE SENATE ATTEMPTED TO OVERCOME A DEEP POLITICAL DIVIDE WITH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS TRYING TO WORK OUT A PLAN TO SHARE POWER. BUT THE EFFORT FAILED AS SENATORS GOT MIRED IN THEIR OLD PARTISAN BICKERING.

Virginia legislators opened the 1996 General Assembly session Wednesday with a historic offering of political peace - Democrats agreeing to share power with Republicans.

But the state Senate quickly mired in a partisan standoff over control of its most powerful committee.

Under a plan that gained momentum Wednesday, the GOP would take control of the Senate Finance Committee, depriving Sen. Stanley C. Walker, D-Norfolk, of the coveted chairmanship he would normally win by tradition and seniority.

The finance committee, which votes on virtually everything involving taxing and spending, is arguably the most powerful in the Capitol. Controlled by Democrats last year, the panel was a primary roadblock for Republican Gov. George F. Allen's budget and tax cuts.

One certainty emerged from Wednesday's opening of the 60-day legislative session: The GOP will control some of the legislature's powerful lawmaking committees for the first time in modern history.

That could buoy support for anti-abortion legislation, imperil the chances of passing new pro-gambling laws and give Allen heightened influence during his last two years in office.

Just how far that GOP influence might extend, however, remained unclear late Wednesday, as lawmakers continued to craft a compromise.

There are 20 Democrats and 20 Republicans in the state Senate, but Democrats hold a technical majority because Lt. Gov. Donald S. Beyer Jr. can break ties.

Democrats offered the GOP their power-sharing plan early in the day, offering committee chairmanships - but not finance. But before the Democrats' plan came up for a vote, Republicans started making deals, hoping to win the chairmanship for Sen. John H. Chichester, R-Fredericksburg.

Conservative Democrat Virgil H. Goode Jr. of Franklin County already had agreed to help the GOP seize the finance committee. To seal another vote, Republicans offered a seat on the committee to Loudoun County Democrat Charles L. Waddell, who then promised to side with Republicans.

But that move apparently angered Republican moderate Malfourd ``Bo'' Trumbo, R-Botetourt, who wanted a seat on that committee himself. GOP legislators were apparently unsure of the vote of another Republican, Jane H. Woods of Fairfax. So by mid-afternoon, neither side was willing to bring the subject up for a vote.

Senators spent the day going in and out of session so the political parties could hold closed-door strategy meetings.

Tired and punchy, senators reconvened after Allen's State of the Commonwealth address for another whack at reaching some agreement about just how much sharing of power will go on in the new Senate. They quickly adjourned for the night when no compromise seemed imminent.

``You go through a real nasty election, where it gets mean and all sorts of things are said about you, but this makes it all worthwhile,'' quipped Walker.

Also at issue: Whether a power-sharing agreement would be in place for two years or four. Beyer's lieutenant governor post is up for election in 1997, which gives Republicans an opportunity to score an outright majority.

The General Assembly rarely takes on a significant workload during its first week in session, so little was lost by Wednesday's delays.

``We'll get it resolved, I'm sure,'' said Sen. Joseph V. Gartlan Jr., D-Fairfax. ``We do have real work to do.''

Both parties' Senate organization plans called for elevating Norfolk Democrat Yvonne Miller to the chairmanship of the Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee.

That panel considers welfare and social issues, liquor laws, bills that affect jails and prisons and other topics. Miller would be the first African-American woman to head a legislative committee in Virginia.

Matters were less complicated in the House of Delegates, where Democrats maintained their three-seat majority during last fall's election. Democrats control all the committees and leadership positions in the House. ILLUSTRATION: BILL TIERNAN color photos/The Virginian-Pilot

Sen. Stanley C. Walker, D-Norfolk, left, and Republican Sen. John H.

Chichester were competing to be chairman of the Senate Finance

Committee.

KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY by CNB