Recordings of the House of Delegates Sessions, 14 January 1998

Recordings of the House of Delegates Sessions, 14 January 1998, disc 2, Accession 50627. State Government Records Collection, The Library of Virginia.

Below is a guide to the video to make it easier to navigate.

0:05 – Clerk Bruce F. Jamerson (Chair) gavels the House to order.

0:20 – Delegate Jack Rust (R-37th District) resumes discussion of his motion to have members elected on 13 January 1998 seated.

1:31 – Delegate George W. Grayson (D-97th District) makes a point of order, asking Jamerson for him to report on Rust’s motion.

2:02 – Jamerson rules that he erred when he allowed Rust to make a motion to seat the three members-elect. He further states that Cranwell’s motion to adopt a proposed House Rule for election of the Speaker of the House is in order.

3:32 – Delegate Robert G. Marshall (R-13th District) appeals Jamerson’s ruling. Marshall begins shouting “Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman” repeatedly.

5:27 – Delegate Marshall begins shouting “objection, Mr. Chairman” repeatedly. Meanwhile, the House agrees to Cranwell’s motion (Y-49 N-0); the vote is barely audible.

6:11 – Delegate Marshall shouts “objection” repeatedly. Additional Republican members rise and start shouting “objection” while slamming the lids of their desks. The House elects Thomas W. Moss, Jr. as Speaker of the House of Delegates (Y-50 N-7). Delegate Marshall shouts “illegitimate power” and promises “Sherman’s march through Georgia every day.”

9:25 – Virginia Supreme Court Justice Harry L. Carrico swears in Moss as Speaker. Republican members shout “Shame! Shame! Shame!”

11:05 – Delegate Marshall appeals the ruling of the Chair (Speaker Moss) with regards to the House agenda. Before the vote on whether the ruling of the Chair is sustained, Delegate H. Morgan Griffith (R-8th District) requests a viva voce (or live voice) vote. Delegate Bob McDonnell (R-84th District) makes a parliamentary inquiry if McQuigg, Ware, and Blevins would be allowed to participate in the vote. Moss rules that they are not members of the House since their 13 January election had not been certified by the State Board of Elections and could not vote. The ruling of the Chair is sustained (Y-50 N-26).

31:41 – Election of Bruce F. Jamerson as Clerk of House of Delegates (Y-71 N-1)

43:26 – Justice Carrico swears in Jamerson as Clerk.

44:46 to 1:29:45 – The House begins an extensive discussion on the Rules of the House of Delegates. Delegate Cranwell moves that the Rules for the 1997 session be adopted for the 1998 session. Delegate Griffith offers and explains his amendments to the 1998 Rules. Delegate Cranwell requests that before voting on Griffith’s amendments, that the two parties continue their “dialogue” on sharing power in the House. The House agrees to take no action on the amendments until the next day.

Additional information can be found on the House of Delegates Mini-Journal website (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp6....