|
|
||
Republican leaders in House and Senate don't want the 2007 legislative session to be shortened. Date published: 12/12/2006
RICHMOND--Lawmakers will have a 46-day legislative session in 2007 as usual, but will kick it off in Jamestown.
That's the result of a Joint Rules committee meeting yesterday, in which leaders of the House and Senate voted on a variety of procedural measures that dictate how the legislative session will be run. A proposal, floated by Sen. John Chichester earlier this fall, to limit the session to 30 days, got little support and by the time the committee met to establish the session calendar, even Chichester didn't argue in its favor. Chichester had said he suggested limiting the session to 30 days to give staff--whom he said are worn thin by extended sessions two of the past three years--a break. But legislators have not scaled back their bill-filing--the Department of Legislative Services said they had 900 requests for bills as of Friday, and expect more than 1,000 by the time the session begins. Limiting the time in which lawmakers could consider all those bills--and the time in which staff could draft them--would make it only harder on staffers, Chichester said. "If you compress the time, you do just the opposite of what I intended," he said. "You elevate the pressure." In addition to approving the session calendar, the committee also approved a resolution moving most of the session's opening-day activities to Jamestown. The first day of the legislature's annual session--Jan. 10 this year--is usually a combination of procedure and housekeeping; bills are introduced, procedural resolutions are approved, and the governor gives his annual State of the Commonwealth speech that night. This year, most of that will be compressed, due to efforts by Jamestown-area lawmakers to move the opening day there, to kick off the state's Jamestown 2007 celebrations. The state constitution requires legislators to gavel in the session in Richmond, so they'll do that, then hop on buses to go to Jamestown. There, they'll have an unveiling ceremony for a coin commemorating the Jamestown landing, they'll tour Jamestown, and then have the governor's speech before busing back to Richmond. House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, had reservations about the move, noting all the bills that must be introduced and referred on the first day. He also is worried about the weather in January. But, he said, commemorating Jamestown is important. Chichester is more supportive of the one-day move. "I think it's a great plug for Jamestown, and showcases it as we begin the 2007 celebration," he said. To reach CHELYEN DAVIS:
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
|
|
||||||||||||
