THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 13, 1996 TAG: 9601130310
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBERT LITTLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Several Hampton Roads legislators secured leadership roles this week in the General Assembly.
In the state Senate, four lawmakers from southeast Virginia took control of legislative committees, the real nuts and bolts of the lawmaking process:
Stanley C. Walker, a Norfolk Democrat, will co-lead the powerful Finance Committee, which crafts the state budget and handles all taxation and spending laws. He will share power with a Republican co-chairman, Sen. John H. Chichester of Fredericksburg.
Yvonne B. Miller, another Norfolk Democrat, will chair the committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services. The first African-American woman to head a legislative committee in Virginia, Miller will preside over all bills concerning prisons, liquor laws and social programs such as welfare.
Mark L. Earley, a Republican from Chesapeake, will lead the Local Government Committee. His panel will consider any changes to local laws that require Assembly approval, such as Virginia Beach's effort to merge some responsibilities of the City Council and School Board. Earley also gets one of the coveted seats on the Finance Committee.
Richard J. Holland, a Democrat from Isle of Wight, will head the Senate Rules Committee, which considers all resolutions amending or altering the rules of the Senate.
In the House of Delegates, where Democrats maintain a clear majority, two Norfolk legislators moved up to chair roles on committees of special import to Hampton Roads.
Del. William P. Robinson will lead the committee on Transportation, responsible for planning and construction of state roads.
Del. Jerrauld C. Jones will lead the Committee on the Chesapeake and its Tributaries, which oversees environmental and conservation issues that impact the bay. He succeeds former Norfolk Del. Howard Copeland, who lost his re-election bid last fall. Jones also was given a seat on the House Finance Committee, which deals with taxation.
Committees are important because they hammer out the fine print of most laws. Chairmen can exert influence by setting the agenda and deciding when each bill is considered.
Committee assignments can enhance or diminish a lawmaker's individual clout. A slot on a panel that considers more important issues - such as state spending, criminal penalties or business regulations - can give legislators a greater voice in shaping state policy.
Here are committee assignment changes for delegates from South Hampton Roads:
Del. William S. Moore Jr., D-Portsmouth, gave up his seat on the Agriculture Committee for a slot on the Chesapeake and its Tributaries Committee.
Del. Lionell Spruill, D-Chesapeake, swapped his seat on Chesapeake and its Tributaries for the Claims Committee, which considers the petitions of citizens who have exhausted avenues of relief from alleged state misdeeds.
Del. William K. Barlow, D-Smithfield, traded a slot on Mining and Mineral Resources for a seat on Corporations, Insurance and Banking, which considers a wide variety of business laws.
Newcomer Thelma Drake, R-Norfolk, was assigned to three committees: Transportation, Labor and Commerce and Claims.
House committee assignments, controlled by Speaker Thomas W. Moss Jr. of Norfolk, were released Friday. Senate committee chairs were announced Friday, with full committee rosters to be named next week. MEMO: Main article on page A1.
KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY by CNB