Democrats Take Control of the Virginia Senate

Sen. Lynwood Lewis seated - standing in the same row to his left is Newly elected Sena. Jennifer Wexton

Karma can be a real bitch.  Just ask Virginia Republicans who arrogantly changed the Virginia Senate rules some years back to their own advantage.  Today, with newly elected Senator Lynwood Lewis sworn in - Our group was in the Senate gallery for the swearing in - Lt. Ralph Northam cast the tie breaking vote to use the GOP enacted rules to take control of the Virginia Senate.  Not only will Democrats now be able to block some of the most insane and poisonous bills coming out of the GOP controlled House of Delegates, but bills stalled or preliminarily killed in Senate committees may be brought back to life now that Democrats control the committees.  The conservative Richmond Times Dispatch - which is probably less elated by the shift in control than I am - has details.  Here are highlights marked to show the latest status:

Democrats have taken control of the divided Virginia state Senate and its committees.  Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam, a Democrat, cast the tie-breaking vote in the chamber that is divided with 20 Democrats and 20 Republicans.

Democrats gained a 20th vote today when Lynwood W. Lewis Jr., D-Accomack, was sworn in to the seat formerly held by Northam. Senators have elected Sen. Charles J. Colgan, D-Prince William as president pro tempore, succeeding Sen. Walter A. Stosch R-Henrico.

Democrats plan to have discharged the 11 committees now with Republican chairmen and replace them with Democratic chairmen.  

The caucus also plans to install Democratic majorities in all but two committees -- Local Government and Rehabilitation and Social Services -- the only two committees to which Republicans had given Democrats a majority of members when they took over in 2012.

The takeover would effectively gives Democrats the ability to control which legislation advances through the committee process and makes it to the floor of the chamber.

That control could prove a critical legislative counterbalance to the House of Delegates, where the GOP has a 2-1 majority and can easily advance legislation that Democrats were previously powerless to stop.

The partisan takeover is a surprise to no one on Capitol Square, following Northam's election as lieutenant governor, and Democrats' recent victories in special elections for two open seats.

Over the last two years, Senate Republicans have been able to use their control of committees and the floor -- in some cases with modest Democratic support -- to pass legislation to expand gun rights and the use of public money to fund private school scholarships, and to place new restrictions on voting adoption and abortion.

With GOP dominance in the House of Delegates and Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell in the Executive Mansion, [over the last 2 years] a number of the bills became laws.

In some cases, the controversy generated by those laws became the foundation for campaigns that enabled Democrats to sweep all three statewide offices last November, reversing four years of Republican control of the governorship, and the offices of lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Today was a very good day for Virginia and those who want the state to embrace modernity and reject the religious and racial based bigotry that are the prime motivators of the Virginia GOP.