Welcome to a new feature on the House Republican Caucus Blog—the Puckish Parliamentarian, which will bring you entertaining notes from the House floor.
It seems appropriate to release this installment for the Democratic Party of Virginia’s Jefferson-Jackson Weekend, which, according to the Washington Post, includes an address by Del. Ward Armstrong (D-Henry), but “no A-list speaker.” With Armstrong getting dissed by the Post, we thought we ought to feature him here.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nywT-cMAYs
In the first installment of the Puckish Parliamentarian, Armstrong, the House Minority Leader, returns to his favorite grandstanding topic for the 2010 Session—electricity rates.
Seeking one more chance to talk about a bill Armstrong himself admits won’t actually solve a problem, he offered a motion to discharge a committee, a rarely-used motion, which Del. Lacey Putney (I-Bedford), currently in his 49th year in the House, never recalls being agreed to.
House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) handles opposition to the motion for the Majority. The real fun starts when Del. Joe Johnson (D-Abingdon), the Puck in this installment of the Puckish Parliamentarian, engages Armstrong in a series of questions.
Del. Armstrong’s motion failed, 26-69. The Democratic Caucus has 39 members, only 2 out of 3 supported their leader.
Gov. McDonnell had already signed HB 1308, a bill by Del. Bill Carrico (R-Grayson), that actually provided immediate relief on electric bills.