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Not since the 1950s and early 1960s when the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates was largely solid Democrat and they ran roughshod over civil rights in supporting segregation of schools, restricting voter rights, and even banning interracial marriages has the Democrats used their political power in such a power grabbing manner until this year.
The difference between the 1950s and 1960s is they do not have the old overwhelming control of state government. Republicans have gained power, electing a Republican governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. The Democrats control the House of Delegates but with a small 51-49 margin. In the Senate, Democrats control the body by a 21-19 majority.
But you would not know it by the excessive non-proportional representation on Senate committees. Instead of a proportional eight Democrats to seven Republicans, the Democrats have put the ratio at nine Democrats to six Republicans and 10 Democrats to five Republicans on the committees - making it difficult for Republicans to even get their proposed legislation out of committee and their issues even get debated.
Democrats in the legislature have voted to reject several of Governor Youngkin’s nominees for various educational and other boards. Recently that included two appointed to the VMI board of visitors. For the first time in history, appointees to this board were rejected by the legislature, and the Democrats offered no grounds for their actions.
According to a letter from Rep. Ben Cline, Democrat Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy recently told a VMI board member, “I am just trying to help VMI. Cedric is African American. The leadership of the General Assembly is African American. Your board appointments and budget amendments are in peril. You can fix this by giving Cedric a four-year contract extension.”
The 2008 VMI graduate Senator Carroll Foy was referring to House Speaker Don Scott and Senate Leader L. Louise Lucas, both of whom are African American.
The issue came to the attention Ben Cline, who in his letter to the clerks of the House of Delegates and Senate wrote, “These race-related comments — totally unbecoming of a member of the General Assembly and completely inconsistent with the values of our nation —make plain the leadership in the General Assembly is attempting to exert undue influence on the decisions of the board in exchange for funding priorities of VMI” Cline, who served for several years in the House of Delegates, in his letter added, “The idea that members of the General Assembly would use their positions of power to intimidate VMI Board members by conditioning funding on the extension of the superintendent’s contract is not just inappropriate, it is an outright abuse of power.”
The Senate Democrats have rejected considering an ethics investigation of Sen. Carroll-Foy called for by Rep. Cline.
The Senate Democrats also excluded funds for the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics, which Governor Youngkin criticized as effort to put pressure on the VMI board of visitors.
Christian Martinez, spokesman for Gov. Youngkin, said, “The governor appointed experienced and strong members to the Board of Visitors, all deeply committed to VMI and it mission. He has full confidence the board will act in the best interests of the Institute and the commonwealth.”
On Friday, the board of visitors, after two hours of discussion, voted 10 to 6 not to renew the contract for Superintendent Wins.
It can be hoped that the Senate Democrats will rethink their undemocratic committee representation and end using threats of financial retaliation for actions they politically disagree with. Clearly, the threats were not helpful to General Wins and did not reflect positively on the image of the Senate ethics. Virginia deserves better from their elected officials.
Things for your consideration as we enter a year where Virginians vote to elect or re-elect members of the Virginia legislature bodies.
