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A View from the Cheap Seats by Garren Shipley
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The Virginia Senate made quick work of a handful of changes proposed by Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine on Wednesday afternoon, but that's about all that was moving fast on Capitol Square.
Republicans in the House of Delegates and Democrats in the Senate took some extra time in the afternoon to hash out their strategy for how to deal with a raft of vacancies on the bench around the commonwealth.
Judges in Virginia are in most cases elected by legislature. When the House and Senate are controlled by the same party, judicial elections are generally a quiet affair. But now that the Democrats are in control of the upper chamber, the two sides have been a loggerheads for months over which slate of candidates will get to put on the black robes.
Among the seats in limbo are the one being vacated by Judge John McGrath of Rockingham County, who also sits in other counties in the 26th Judicial District, including all of the Northern Shenandoah Valley.
Early reports from legislators and idle chatter in the hallways of Mr. Jefferson's Capitol suggest that an agreement won't be forthcoming today.
Stay tuned...
UPDATE 10:07 p.m.
After hours of wrangling (enough wrangling, in fact, to cover the drive from Richmond to Strasburg, dinner and a bath for a hyper 4-year-old) the Senate and House of Delegates have agreed on a slate of judges, including attorney Thomas J. Wilson IV, of Harrisonburg, to fill Judge McGrath's seat.
Republicans in the House of Delegates and Democrats in the Senate took some extra time in the afternoon to hash out their strategy for how to deal with a raft of vacancies on the bench around the commonwealth.
Judges in Virginia are in most cases elected by legislature. When the House and Senate are controlled by the same party, judicial elections are generally a quiet affair. But now that the Democrats are in control of the upper chamber, the two sides have been a loggerheads for months over which slate of candidates will get to put on the black robes.
Among the seats in limbo are the one being vacated by Judge John McGrath of Rockingham County, who also sits in other counties in the 26th Judicial District, including all of the Northern Shenandoah Valley.
Early reports from legislators and idle chatter in the hallways of Mr. Jefferson's Capitol suggest that an agreement won't be forthcoming today.
Stay tuned...
UPDATE 10:07 p.m.
After hours of wrangling (enough wrangling, in fact, to cover the drive from Richmond to Strasburg, dinner and a bath for a hyper 4-year-old) the Senate and House of Delegates have agreed on a slate of judges, including attorney Thomas J. Wilson IV, of Harrisonburg, to fill Judge McGrath's seat.
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