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Today’s QOD comes from the House floor where, after introducing students from a high school in his district, Delegate Joe Morrissey (D-74, Henrico), known for almost daily “Morrissey moments” of righteous indignation during the House’s morning hour said, to a robust standing ovation:

Mr. Speaker . . . Would the Journal reflect that today, March 12, 2010, I did not make a motion of personal privilege.

To which Delegate Bill Janis (R-56, Henrico), replied:

Mr. Speaker, I move that a thousand copies of the gentleman’s speech be printed.

But, not to be outdone, Speaker Bill Howell (R-28, Fredericksburg) said:

I would remind the gentleman the morning hour is not over yet.

For as much of the remaining proceedings as we could digest, it appears Delegate Morrissey held to it. However, with the budget vote looming, we don’t envy his colleagues when that debate hits the floor tomorrow (or possibly Sunday or even . . . next week). Doubtless, it’ll be a doozy.

Today, the news making the biggest waves throughout Capitol Square isn’t the budget, or liberals’ reaction to Governor Bob McDonnell’s proposed cuts. It’s not the speculation on the budget the House Appropriations Committee will produce Sunday or whether the Senate Finance Committee will even meet its budget deadline at all (apparently, it will, Sunday afternoon). It’s not conservatives’ outrage toward Speaker Bill Howell and the governor over letting HB 119 die in Appropriations. It’s not concern over any bill or policy making headlines in the Mainstream Media.

The big conversation is about the closing of Richbrau Brewery, a hometown institution that brewed a locally made beer; a microbrewery and not a bad restaurant either, and a fun nightspot. Owner Michael Beirne is something of a city father, serving on the Wilder-Bliley Commission that led to the total scrapping of Richmond’s old form of government in favor of the full-time, strong mayor format. He also has served on other boards and commissions and has been a visible and constant booster of the city, especially downtown and the historic riverside neighborhoods of Shockoe Slip, Shockoe Bottom, Tobacco Row and environs.

Richbrau also was the host of the weekly Thursday Night Caucus, where lobbyists, staff and legislators get to know each other a little better away from the business confines and battles within the GAB and the aura of the capitol, while playing pool, drinking an adult beverage, even dancing. It’s also where the session-ending Sine Die Party is. Talk about a blast. Despite two months of haggling and outright legislative war, Sine Die is like a college reunion, where liberals and conservatives, lobbyists and lawmakers, this side and that, get together and reminisce, tell war stories and even let the other side in on secrets not dared to slip upon penalty of losing major clients and/or bills going down in flames. . .

You knew what? If you had told me that then I would have voted . . . !

You gotta hear this — remember that blight bill? You know what I told my deskmate before the vote? 

Each Thursday (and one Friday) for about eight weeks, Richbrau is where informal strategy sessions and favor promising took place. Now, it’s consigned to the sign of Richmond’s times. Fortune 500 companies Circuit City and LandAmerica went belly up last year, not to mention S&K and a number of local prides and joys. Adding insult to injury was the recent news that local grocery giant Ukrop’s, which had expanded into the Petersburg area, Fredericksburg, Williamsburg and Roanoke, was selling to a Dutch company. Now, Richbrau, which had remodeled two historic buildings in Shockoe Slip and prompted a microbrewing industry in Richmond that now boasts regional favorite brand Legend’s.

It’s another blow to the capital if not the capitol as downtown Richmond has no shortage of remarkable places for our two-month visitors to eat, drink and unwind. Surely, as of right now, the Sine Die commitee is scrambling for a new venue. But just as every two years, the General Assembly has different legislators, it remains intrinsically the same. In the end, this, too, will be the same. But it will be different, as well.

The American Legislative Exchange Council is an organization of state legislators that  promotes conservative and free market legislation throughout the 50 state legislatures. Its immediate past national chairman is Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell (R-28, Fredericksbug). Its Virginia Chairmen are Delegate Chris Jones (R-76, Suffolk) and Senator Steve Martin (R-11, Chesterfield).

As a driving force for free market solutions to remedy health care, it provides model legislation to its state legislator membership, research and other tools, and tracks the progress of bills across the country. This year, health care freedom is one of ALEC’s  priorities as 30-plus states have introduced such legislation. It’s had a busy time in Virginia this session of the General Assembly as five bills protecting the health care freedom of Virginians have advanced rapidly through Mr. Jefferson’s capitol and Virginia races to become the first state to stand up to the federal government’s over reach into the health care decisions of individuals.

Recently, Christie Herrera, director of ALEC’s health and human services task force, spoke with World Net Daily Radio about the Virginia Health Care Freedom Act, as the national media continues to pay attention to Virginia’s lead as the first state to define the limits of the federal government’s powers.

To hear the seven minute interview, click here.

Today’s quote happened yesterday — and it’s not particularly humorous, either. More like revealing. Which is great because there is a lot of humor around this place, so it’s nice to have a change of pace. Tomorrow, which is expected to be a very light day here — afternoon committee meetings are cancelled so members can get home ahead of the forecasted snow — and Friday’s are slow anyway with the floor sessions starting at 10:00 a.m. instead of noon, I’ll have some hysterical stuff said today.

But here goes: Yesterday in the lobby of the General Assembly Building, Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw (D-35, Springfield) was holding court with several people huddled around him. Not sure if they were constituents, lobbyists or representatives of an organization on a “lobby day.” But he said this to them:

I spoke with Speaker Howell yesterday and asked him: Is there any bill in the General Assembly that is not a battle? Because if there is one, I haven’t seen it.

Now, one can take that as meaning the majority leader is pining for some easy bills and lovey-dovey bipartisanship. Which is understandable. (In fact, there are plenty of uncontested bills each day on each chamber’s floor.) Or, you can take it as the majority leader saying he really doesn’t think people should debate and fight over the issues and ideas facing our commonwealth and in which they believe.

Take your pick on your interpretation. Either way, they are interesting words from a man who’s taken a slender two-seat majority and hammered out super majority committee ratios. Gee, I wonder why there are such battles, senator.

First we announced the blockbuster news that the keynote speaker at our Annual Gala on Monday, October 26, would be former Arkansas governor and Fox News host Mike Huckabee, whom you can hear in an exclusive interview at 5:30 this afternoon (or on archive, later) by clicking here. (For more information, click here.)

Now we have are proud to announce that our musical guest will be none other than Springsteen! No, this isn’t a cheap trick, where we will use a projection program to simulate an in-person appearance. This will be the real, live thing!

As those who were born in the USA, a land of hope and dreams, we don’t want our principles to fade away. We believe that better days are ahead for the American land. It’s not a leap of faith to believe that glory days await for those willing to stand up and fight for our principles. We weren’t born to run, we were born to stand! So, we bring you Springsteen! That’s Alana Springsteen. The eight-year-old extraordinary talent is going to sing the national anthem to kick off the Gala. Check out this phenom at her Web site, here. 

Governor Huckabee isn’t the only national media figure who speak at the Gala. Bishop Earl Jackson also will join us. Bishop Jackson, former director of the Christian Coalition’s Samaritan Purse, is a nationally recognized pro-family leader who appears regularly on national television. Joining him in the program are Speaker of the House of Delegates Bill Howell (R-28, Fredericksburg) and Delegate Mark Cole (R-88, Fredericksburg), who will make a special presentation.

More than 1,100 seats now are reserved and space is running short, so if you haven’t reserved your seat please do so today as we may reach capacity soon! We have contracted with the Richmond Marriott, directly across the street from the Gala’s venue, the Greater Richmond Convention Center, for a block of rooms for Gala guests. To make reservations for the significantly discounted group rate, please contact the Marriott at 1-800-228-9290 and mention The Family Foundation Gala. For questions, or to register by phone, please call The Family Foundation at 1-804-343-0010, or e-mail dan@familyfoundation.org for more details.

It all happened late this afternoon, in rapid fire succession, all starting with a blatant mis-speak by Delegate Ben Cline (R-24, Rockbridge) when bringing his spending transparency bill (HB 2285) to the floor.

Explaining the Senate’s floor amendment to the bill and why it should be “severed” (which elicited some sarcastic “oooohs”):

“I talked to the patron and he’s okay with it.”

Speaker Bill Howell (R-28, Stafford), to what may have been the loudest laughter in session this year:

“You are the patron!”

After Majority Leader Morgan Griffith (R-8 Salem) parodied Cline to more laugher, Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-15, Woodstock) stepped up for a bill of his own:

“Mr. Speaker, I have a question of the patron. Would the patron yield?”

The House laughed louder than the original faux paux. Then Delegate Gilbert added, “I can go on. This is easy.”

It’s been a long “short session” and they’ve been on the floor for hours at a time. It’s definitely time to bring down this curtain and let them go home!

As Gomer Pyle would say, “Well, I’lllllllllllllllllllllll be!”

HB 2285, the government spending transparency bill passed by the House 99-0 recently, and patroned by Delegate Ben Cline (R-24, Amherst), seemed destined for one of the General Assembly’s great bipartisan accomplishments this session. After all the substitutes and amending, it even lost its fiscal impact to the overspent budget. Its Senate companion, SB 936, patroned by Senator Ken Cuccinelli (R-37, Fairfax), was similarly stripped down and passed cost muster in the Senate, and also was unanimously passed on the floor.

But, and there’s always a but, the committee of jurisdiction for SB 936 was General Laws and Technology. HB 2285 is bound for Rules. Not only that, but knocked down the chain to the Sub-Committee on Studies (click here to contact). Tomorrow morning. Say what?!

All of a sudden, this most important government reform, that the entire Senate voted on last week, must be studied? Yeah, right. I’m sure you can smell the stink through your monitor. Could it be a coincidence that Speaker Bill Howell (R-28, Stafford) touted this as a major House accomplishment at crossover, sending up a red flag to Senate Dems? You know, perhaps it’s the, “you-killed-one-of-our-pets, we’ll-kill-one-of-yours” routine? Creative killing at that: studying it to death or kicking it around from committee to committee while the GA clock runs out. For its part, the House assigned SB 936 to the appropriate committee, Science and Technology, where the House version crusied 22-0.

There’s always hope this will be another love fest tomorrow, and the bill will move on in the correct direction — toward the Senate floor. However, we’re preparing for a sub-committee meeting tomorrow morning that will reach a new low in creative excuse making.

It’s all News today, folks. Enjoy.

Family Forum ‘Unveils’ Agenda (Harrisonburg Daily News-Record) (This is about one of our chapters.)

Howell presents budget cut plans (Richmond Times-Dispatch) 

Howell offers budget ideas (Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star) 

GOP Caucus Vows To Tighten Belts Amid Fiscal Crunch (Washington Post)

Kaine, assembly face tough decisions on cuts (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Cole picks redistricting committee in legislature (Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star) 

Moran resigns Va. House seat (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Moran Resigns From Va. Assembly (Washington Post)

Moran ramps up Va. governor campaign (Washington Times)

Will Moran’s resignation create a domino effect? (The Daily Press)

Parties picking nominees for Moran seat (Richmond Times-Dispatch)  

Parties Try To Beat the Clock for Jan. 13 Vote (Washington Post)

Two-term governor is sought (Richmond Times-Dispatch)