Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 7, 1993 TAG: 9312070167
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
\ House Speaker Thomas Moss, D-Norfolk, all but secured a second term as leader of the House of Delegates on Monday after pledging to appoint black lawmakers to a key committee.
Moss' promise quelled a brewing rebellion by the chamber's eight black members, all Democrats, who had threatened to team with Republicans and elect a new speaker unless Moss acceded.
"I think you'll find the matter has been resolved to everyone's satisfaction," said Del. William Robinson, D-Norfolk, chairman of the legislative black caucus.
The black delegates united with other House Democrats at a meeting Monday to renominate Moss as speaker. The action virtually assures Moss of another term presiding over the House, because Democrats maintain a slight majority in the chamber. The formal election will be held Jan. 12, opening day of the 1993 General Assembly.
At issue was Moss' failure to keep a promise, made when he was elected speaker in 1991, to appoint at least one black lawmaker to the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which holds sway over state spending.
Moss said he was unable to fulfill his pledge, because there were no vacancies on the 20-member panel during the past two years. He added that it was difficult to find a way to appoint blacks without destroying the geographic balance of committee members from around the state.
"Unfortunately, all of the black delegates are from east of Richmond," he said.
In weekend conversations, Robinson extracted from Moss a pledge to expand the committee to 22 members and put at least one black on it. "That was my intention all along," the speaker said. Moss also promised to enlarge 12 other House committees by the same amount.
The black caucus pressured Moss by taking advantage of Republican gains in last month's House elections. The GOP picked up six seats, bringing the House alignment next year to 52 Democrats, 47 Republicans and one independent.
The caucus hinted it might form a new majority by casting its lot with Republicans to elect a new speaker.
Robinson said the caucus never went as far as contacting GOP leaders, and he questioned whether blacks and Virginia Republicans have enough in common to coalesce.
"I don't see them willing to come together to elect a black speaker," he said. "They feel that in two years they'll have a majority in the House and don't want to spend their clout on a short-term association."
But Robinson said the caucus plans to use its new-found clout to promote legislation next year.
Republicans also have been pressuring Moss to appoint more of their brethren to influential committees. They have told the speaker that if he would appoint GOP lawmakers to key panels in numbers proportionate to their overall membership in the House, they would give Democrats the same courtesy should Republicans win control of the House in 1995.
by CNB