State Sen. Tommy Norment (R-3rd District)
RICHMOND – Sen. Thomas Norment (R-3rd District) lost the position of Senate Majority Leader after recent special elections evenly divided the Virginia Senate, giving the lieutenant governor — a Democrat — veto power.
The Virginia Senate is split 20-20 after Lynwood Lewis’ victory in a special election for Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam’s former state Senate seat.
Norment had served as Senate Majority Leader since 2012 when the state Senate was also evenly divided but former Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) cast the deciding vote. Norment is now the Senate Minority Leader.
Sen. Richard Saslaw (D-35th District), who served as Senate majority leader from 2008 to 2012, regained the position following Northam’s (D) tie-breaking vote Jan. 28.
Norment says the power shift does not change his role in the Senate.
“The responsibilities of leading your caucus on the Senate floor, where the ultimate decisions on legislation are made, is pretty much the same whether you’re in the minority or in the majority,” Norment stated in an email. “The goal is to make sure your caucus members are effectively represented and that their views are considered during debate.”
The majority leader uses the position to set a legislative agenda and advance the goals of his or her party.
Republican loss of the majority comes with a rule change in the Senate that allows the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee to kill any Senate bill that has been “substantially” amended in the House of Delegates.
“The rules change giving unprecedented authority to the Chairman of the Rules Committee was by far the most egregious actions of the Democrats,” Norment said. “They scuttled the rules without the approved two-thirds vote.”
In a year when ethics and transparency are important issues, Senate Democrats have taken a giant step backwards,” Norment said.
Saslaw could not be reached for comment, but was widely quoted in other media outlets in 2011 speaking out against Republican leadership when they used similar methods to give their party control of the Senate.
“Virginians elected 20 senators of each party and it’s only right the power of the Senate is divided equally,” Saslaw said in a 2011 statement. “The Republicans are wrong to try and grab power when half the state voted for Democrats. It’s a question of fairness. The Republicans are trying to overrule the will of the people and claim a majority they did not earn.”
Despite losing the Senate Majority Leader title, Norment says his priorities will remain the same.
“My role on the Senate floor may be a little different, but my duties to the people of the Third District remain the same,” Norment said.
Norment also did not lose any of his five committee assignments. He currently serves on the Commerce and Labor, Courts of Justice, Finance, Rehabilitation and Social Services, and Rules committees.