Speaker Howell’s HB3202 paves the road to minority status for House Republicans

If the weird dealings of Bill Howell are not been reason enough for those GOPers in that caucus that value being in the majority to dump him, the death rattle of HB 3202 ought to change that.

Let’s recap the story.

Howell decides that his caucus needs a transportation plan to help boost Republican chances in the ‘07 election.

A deal is brokered that most of the House Republican Caucus find ridiculous. Howell insists say that he has seen polling and this is necessary to maintain the majority.

Most of the caucus swallows the toad and passes it. In a unique instance where Delegate Jeff Frederick does something smart, he takes a walk during the vote

Then over the summer, the story broke about the abuser fees. Whoops! Speaker Bill didn’t see that one coming.

In November, voting for HB3202 ha worked so well, that House Republicans lost the seats formerly held by John Welch, Michele McQuigg, Leo Wardrup and Vince Callahan. You can throw in Rob Wittman’s seat for good measure. That is offset only by Loupassi’s win over Waddell, something that was generally expected

And now, the Supreme Court rules that most of the bill is gone. So House Republicans lose a net 4 seats and, as it turns out, are back to square one on the issue that was supposed to save them in the last election. 

If House Republicans let Speaker Howell negotiate a transportation deal this time that is as good as the last one, maybe this time it will be a loss of eight instead of four!

The only thing I can’t figure out is if the Speaker backed HB3202 because there was some client of Chris Jankowski’s involved or because Vice Speaker Clarke Hogan wanted to do a smoking buddy a favor. (end snark).

Comments

Ugh too bad we have to put up with about 2 more years of those idiots.

Not if the House GOP caucus wakes up and realize they are being led ineptly.

The Democrats saw they needed to take action and did what had to be done and tossed Frank Hall over for more competent leadership. One might hope the GOP caucus would be similarly inclined.

[Spank That Donkey]

and Howell had to cut deals with Senators voting for tax increases, to "call off the dogs", and even endorse those Senators in last years GOP primaries...

Apparently it's not easy being House Majority Leader.

Now which State wide GOP Leader was pushing all of this?

[Not Larry Sabato]

STD, your last question is the topic of tomorrow's post :-)

Howell (R-Incompetent And Possibly Corrupt) suckered McDonnell (R-Can't Remember If My Wife Ever Blew Me) into helping bring Senate Republicans to the table. While Howell is clearly even less competent as Speaker now versus when he first took the job, at least as a UVa Law grad, he was able to sucker a Regent Law grad into doing something so politically dumb.

When your Speakership makes your caucus pine for the days of Vance Wilkins (R-Broken Zipper), you ought to take the hint and just go. Go now. Do not look back so you do not see your caucus laughing and pointing at you.

As a loyal grassroots Republican, Speaker Howell needs to be removed or resign immediately and the sooner the better. They need to send his chief deputy Grifith and Kilgore packing as well. As for McDonnell, his political repuutation is left in tatters.

If the GOP caucus acts now to replace Howell they can definitely save the majority and maybe even add a few more seats in 09. Do they have the will to do this is the biggest question?

The BIGGEST QUESTION is who replaces Howell thats not tainted by the current leadership? Any takers?

Speaking of great Republicans, what is this in the Jankowski link about the "recovery" of emails illegally deleted by Phil Hamilton's wife before she left the Crime Commission and why are people being tight lipped about it? Is the Crime Commission still under Republican control? If so, perhaps a FOIA will be necessary.

anon 4:36:

Don't forget Cox. He's as bad as they are. Nixon might be an option since he's a new addition to leadership. I'm sure Jeff Frederick is plotting his scheme to become both Chairman of RPV and Speaker. But Howell has to go. He's only taken the party lower and lower each year he's there. I just hope GOP caucus members have the guts to do the smart thing and throw him out ASAP before we go back to the Democrats holding both chambers AND the Governor's office.

[Bob Gibson]

Democrats may, or may not, turn this transportation funding fiasco into gains, but perhaps a big winner in this high-stakes drama is Bob Marshall.
Can Marshall surprise former Gov. Jim Gilmore by appealing more strongly to his party's base activists on an anti-taxation (without representation) message plus his advocacy of more gun rights for concealed-carry permit holders and his anti-abortion activism?

I was thinking about Cox but I do believe he has too many ties to the current leadership. I strongly suspect he would be a very strong contender.

Hamilton seems to be a name that gets a ton of respect around Richmond?????

Hamilton? They respect him but no one trusts him. Phil is widely known to be out only for Phil.

As for Marshall, the GOP should nominate him. Like Gillmor, he will get crushed, but at least with Sideshow Bob, you know it will at least be colorful.

Hamilton? No. Never put a guy who once had a mullet in charge. That will not work.

HB 3202 Transportation funding; authority to certain localities to impose additional fees therefor, report.

Summary as enacted with Governor's Recommendation: (all summaries)

04/04/07 House: House concurred in Governor's recommendation (85-Y 15-N)

04/04/07 House: VOTE: ADOPTION (85-Y 15-N)

04/04/07 Senate: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (29-Y 9-N)

04/04/07 Senate: Reconsideration of Governor's recommendation agreed to (39-Y 0-N)

04/04/07 Senate: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (29-Y 10-N)

04/04/07 Governor: Governor's recommendation adopted

I didn't realize there were 85 rebublicans in the house, and 29 in the senate last year.

And was that a democrat governer that signed this?

I think there will be enough blame to go around on this one.

[meh, not really]

Can't govern from the minority, 6:48. Passing the blame didn't work for you guys in 2007, and it won't work next time around either.

[James Young]

I could've sworn that Democrats and Tim Kaine signed onto this monstrosity. Yep. Anon 6:48 demonstrates that fact rather handily. And it wasn't like Democrats were running to stand up for constitutional rectitude.

This is a victory for Bob Marshall, and those who think like him. Keep spinnin', Ben, but the credit belongs to those "nasty" Conservatives who took a stand.

what about the majority democrats that kept all the money from nova for all the years before the rebublicans came to office?

I suppose they get a free ride...
kinda like the great ride you will find around richmond on the 8 lane highway to nowhere. Nice road.. paid for by nova, courtsey of the nova democrats that were in office at the time.

OH. but don't blame them.. the problem only started when the republicans became the majority...

hummm.. lets see... the democrats are in charge of two of three branches now...... why is there still road congestion?...

I know lets blame the republicans...

democrat whiners

While it might sound politically smart for Jeff Frederick to have taken a walk -- he didn't -- he's clearly in the no column:

04/04/07 Governor: Governor's recommendation adopted (see: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?071+vot+HV1767+HB3202)

Frederick took a walk on the most important vote on HB 3202. Its complete nonsense to say he did not. Why was he in the chamber right before the vote and mysteriously re-appeared right after?

Jeff didn't take a walk. He went to use the bathroom. His dick is so large that it takes a while to get the pee from one end to the other. The Speaker should have been considerate of Jeff's penis and delayed the vote.

ROFLMAO.

[ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©]

When Republicans lose their jobs, our country wins.

More of the same, please!
~

If Jeff took a walk, why does the vote record linked above have him as a "nay"?

On the tough vote, Federick skipped plain and simple. I guess he could not decide if he was for or against so he probably played both sides and skipped then decided to fill out a slip later.
Who know why? He was in the area at the time.

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?071+vot+HV1661+HB3202

[t]

Bob Marshall is a Statesman and a visionary.

I am still waiting for Speaker Howell to apologize for the horrible way he teated the Most Hon. Dick Black, with regard to provision of lifelike pre-born replicas to legislators.

Why would Fredrick fill out a slip taking a position if he was trying to not take a position by not voting? It doesn't make any sesnse to say he skipped a vote, because he clearly didn't intend to, and when he was in his seat, he voted, as the record shows. Also, did Athey also take a walk? kind of strange given the fact that he was a co-patron of HB3202.

[tr]

As far as the recovery of emails deleted by Hamilton's wife go, a FOIA isn't necessary. Just follow the current director around and notice how he's always clutching a black binder as if it was made of china. I heard him tell a member's legislative assistant last week that he won't even leave it in his office and takes it home every night. Would he do that if it was just regular legislative stuff? Somehow I doubt it just contains his grocery list or even the Crime Commission's legislative package. I hear he's crazy about Nesquik - just place two in the hallway in front of him and he'll have to drop it.