THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, January 8, 1997            TAG: 9701080400
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A6   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY DAVID M. POOLE, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:   46 lines

FAIRFAX'S SEN. HOWELL IS FINANCE UNIT'S 1ST WOMAN

Women broke another barrier in the male-dominated General Assembly Tuesday, gaining a voice on the powerful Senate Finance Committee.

Senate Democrats appointed Fairfax County Sen. Janet D. Howell to fill a seat vacated by former Sen. Virgil Goode Jr.

``It's the last bastion for women in the General Assembly,'' Howell beamed, emerging from a closed door meeting of Senate Democrats.

Howell's elevation reflects the growing influence of women, who hold seven of 40 seats in the upper chamber.

``We're not done yet,'' Portsmouth Sen. L. Louise Lucas said. ``We have a few more positions to pick off.''

The Senate Finance vacancy was created when Goode resigned after his election to Congress last fall.

Based on seniority, Sen. Yvonne B. Miller of Norfolk was in line for the prized budget-writing seat.

In appointing Howell, Democrats cited a Senate rule that encourages all regions of the state to be represented on Senate Finance. While Northern Virginia has several seats on the committee, there was no one from the 11th congressional district, where Howell resides.

Miller, who lobbied her colleagues for the appointment, said she would not second-guess the vote.

``The committee made the decision, so I'll live with whatever the committee decided,'' she said.

Senate Democrats also parceled out committee assignments to Goode's replacement, former Del. Roscoe Reynolds of Martinsville.

Reynolds said he was pleased with his assignments: Courts of Justice, Local Government and Rehabilitation and Social Services. But he said he was disappointed that he did not get Goode's seat on the Transportation Committee.

``When you start out,'' said Reynolds, who will be sworn in today, ``you're the low man on the totem pole.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

IAN MARTIN/The Virginian-Pilot

After Democrats appointed Sen. Janet D. Howell of Fairfax County to

the Finance Committee, Sen. L. Louise Lucas, above, of Portsmouth

said of the state Senate's seven women: ``We're not done yet. We

have a few more positions to pick off.''

KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY LEGISLATORS