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By GEORGE BOWLES
The regular business of the General Assembly is usually conducted in a genteel and generally bi-partisan sort of way.
For the most part, the lawmakers represent the interests of thejr constituents—or their favorite lobbyists—with little more than lip service to party discipline.
But behind the facade of gentility and genial nonpartisanship in this year’s legislative session something very different appears to be taking place. Indeed, the heat of party politics had become so intense at midweek that the facade showed signs of cracking.
The reason is easily understood.
At the present time the Republicans occupy eight seats in the Senate while 32 are held by Democrats.
In the House of Delegates there are 34 Republicans, 65 Democrats and one Independent.
With all 140 seats in both houses up for election this year, the Republicans are mounting a determined drive to increase their numbers in each chamber. The Democrats are equally determined to at least hold the line, or perhaps increase their majorities.
For both parties the initial battleground in the November balloting is the Assembly session now in progress.
House GOP members were outraged last week over what they regarded as a blatant example of power politics by the Democrats.
At issue was the sponsorship of a bill which would raise the legal age for drinking beer front 18 to 21.
The concept was not in question—it had broad support on both sides of the aisle. Further, sponsorship of the measure was seen, rightly or wrongly, as a distinct political asset in this election year.
For half a decade, Del. Warren Barry (R-Fairfax) had been trying unsuccessfully to get such a change in the law through the Assembly, and this year he again introduced his measure. A somewhat different bill was introduced by Del. Mary Sue Terry (DStuart).
After a public hearing on these and several similar bills, a subcommittee was named to come up with proposed legislation which would be placed before the Assembly.
When the Democratic dominated subcommittee filed its report, the Terry Bill was used as the vehicle for the likely change in the law, with the Democrats, needless to say, claiming the credit.
Del. Barry angrily charged that the Democrats had proved that, as he put it, “You can mix alcohol and politics.” He strongly felt his bill had been kidnapped!There were dark GOP niutterings about “Terry and the pirates.”
In their search for a way to
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