West Virginia Legislature Clears Way for 2010 Special Senate Election
West Virginia legislators have reached an 11th-hour compromise to allow a special Senate election Nov. 2 to replace the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D). Gov. Joe
West Virginia legislators have reached an 11th-hour compromise to allow a special Senate election Nov. 2 to replace the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D).
Gov. Joe Manchin (D) signed a conference version of the bill that the state House of Delegates and state Senate passed this evening. The compromise bill only applies to the special Senate election, rather than becoming the rule for all future special elections, CQ Politics reports. It also includes a Republican amendment that renders the special election separate from the general election, thereby allowing candidates who have already filed to run for other offices — this was clearly meant to apply to Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R), the state’s most prominent Republican — to also run in the Senate race.
This likely means Capito will run for the Senate seat, as she had previously been reluctant to run if it meant she had to give up a race for re-election to her House seat. She will announce her intentions by the end of this week. Manchin, her likely opponent, has scheduled a press conference for 10 a.m. tomorrow, when he will almost certainly announce his candidacy.
An Aug. 28 special primary election will determine each party’s nominee. The filing period runs from 8:30 a.m. tomorrow to 5 p.m. Friday.
Both houses had previously passed other versions of this legislation, but were not able to reach an agreement on the Capito amendment or language that would make the legislation go into effect immediately instead of waiting the customary 90 days — key here because a 90-day wait would not have allowed the special election to proceed as scheduled. As late as this afternoon it looked as though the legislation was essentially dead, meaning the special election would have been put off until 2012. The legislation needed to be passed today to allow for the special election to proceed as scheduled. Manchin’s only other option would have been to unilaterally declare an election. Had he done that, West Virginia Watchdog reported, there would have been a lawsuit.
Negotiations dragged on into this evening, prompting Manchin’s staff to schedule and then postpone a press conference two separate times. Manchin finally spoke to reporters at 9 p.m.
“Sometimes we have some differences and sometimes we have some discussion, but the people have always benefited from the actions of the House and Senate,” Manchin told reporters.
Tonight’s news means that the clock has already begun to run down on Carte Goodwin’s (D) Senate term, which does not even begin until 2:15 p.m. tomorrow, when he will be sworn in. The winner of November’s special election will take over for Goodwin soon after and will serve until Byrd’s original term expires in January 2013.
Updated at 10:15 p.m.
Related
Rep. Paul Ryan to deliver SOTU response
Chairman of the House Budget Committee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will deliver the Republican response to the State of the Union Tuesday, according to Mike Allen
Rep. Paulsen allies with medical device industry to relax FDA oversight
Source: Flickr; Republicanconference (www.flickr.com/photos/republicanconference) On the heels of the Minnesota Independent story last week about U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen’s cozy financial relationship with the medical device industry, the New York Times reported Tuesday that some health professionals are alarmed by Paulsen’s push to relax Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight
Rep. Paulsen touts balanced budget constitutional amendment
In a post for the conservative blog True North , U.S. Rep
Rep. Patrick McHenry: Please, Conservatives, Fill Out Your Census Forms!
The conservative congressman from North Carolina, a constant critic of the census -- one of the people who sounded the alarm about politicization when the
Rep. Paulsen, Karl Rove the latest to get ‘glittered’
Rep. Erik Paulsen and former Bush staffer Karl Rove were both showered with glitter at the Midwest Leadership Conference Friday
Rep. Perlmutter to hold constituent meet-up in grocery store
Colorado Congressman Ed Perlmutter will hold a Government in the Grocery constituent meet-up this evening from 5-7 at the Safeway at 38th and Wadsworth in Wheat Ridge. The address is 3900 Wadsworth. The meeting, where Perlmutter typically sits at a folding table and talks to whomever shows up, is free and open to the public
Rep. Perlmutter criticizes House measure that would eliminate 800K federal jobs
Congressman Ed Perlmutter today issued a scathing statement criticizing the House of Representatives for passing a spending bill that could put nearly a million federal employees out of work. The Colorado delegation voted strictly on party lines, with all four Republicans voting in favor of the bill and the three Democrats voting in opposition. Perlmutter’s statement: “My number one priority is to get people back to work because that’s the best thing we can do to pay our debt and move forward toward economic stability
Rep. Pete Stark Won’t Dignify Constituent by, er, Micturating Upon His Leg
In the tradition of Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), California Democratic Rep. Pete Stark revealed at a recent town hall gathering that there are limits to what
Rep. Peace, ACLU seek investigation of soldier’s allegations of racial discrimination in Afghanistan
Both Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) and the American Civil Liberties Union agree: There needs to be an investigation into Spc.
School of Hock
A growing number of college grads are defaulting on their student loans as the economy worsens.
