Privileges and Elections Committee, Virginia State Senate
The Privileges and Elections Committee is a standing committee of the Virginia State Senate.
Per the Senate Rules, committees of the Virginia State Senate are assigned by the majority caucus. The caucus submits a nominations report for all committees that must be approved by a majority vote of the chamber. Committees are assigned at the start of each term.[1] A majority of appointed members make up a committee's quorum.[2] The president is not recognized as an ex officio member of any committee.
See rules: Senate Rules
Function
The Senate Rules describe the function of the Privileges and Elections Committee as follows:
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[T]o consider matters concerning voting; apportionment; conflict of interests, except those concerning members of the judiciary or solely the legal profession, provided that any such matter, after being reported by the Committee, shall be rereferred by the Committee to the Committee on the Judiciary for consideration of the matters relating only to members of the judiciary or solely to the legal profession; constitutional amendments; elections; elected officeholders; reprimand, censure, or expulsion of a Senator; and nominations and appointments to any office or position in the Commonwealth (except Justices and Judges of the Commonwealth). It shall consider all grievances and propositions, federal relations and interstate matters. It shall examine the oath taken by each Senator and the certificate of election furnished by the proper office and report thereon to the Senate. It shall review and report as may be required in cases involving financial disclosure statements and shall recommend disciplinary action by majority vote where appropriate. It shall report in all cases involving contested elections the principles and reasons upon which their resolves are founded. It shall determine and report on all matters referred to it by the Senate Ethics Advisory Panel as set forth in the statutes. Whenever the Clerk receives a report of the Senate Ethics Advisory Panel or a resolution seeking the reprimand, censure, or expulsion of a Senator, the report shall be referred forthwith to the Committee on Privileges and Elections. The Committee shall consider the matter, conduct such hearings as it shall deem necessary, and, in all cases report its determination of the matter, together with its recommendations and reasons for its resolves, to the Senate. If the Committee deems disciplinary action warranted, it shall report a resolution offered by a member of the Committee to express such action. Any such resolution reported by the Committee shall be a privileged matter. The Senate as a whole shall then consider the resolution, and, by recorded vote, either defeat the resolution or take one or more of the following actions: (i) reprimand the Senator with a majority vote of the Senators present and voting; (ii) censure the Senator and place the Senator last in seniority with a majority vote of the elected membership of the Senate; (iii) expel the Senator with a two-thirds vote of the elected membership of the Senate; or (iv) refer the matter to the Attorney General for appropriate action with a majority vote of the Senators present and voting, in the event the Senate finds a knowing violation of § 30-108 or subsection C of § 30-110 of the Code of Virginia.[1][3] |
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Membership
2023-2024 legislative session
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Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, 2023-2024 |
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| Democratic members (7) | Republican members (7) | Third-party members(0) |
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2021-2022 legislative session
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Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, 2021-2022 |
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| Democratic members (10) | Republican members (6) | Third-party members(0) |
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Virginia on 
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2016 legislative session
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2016 legislative session.
| Privileges and Elections Members, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (6) | Republican members (7) | |||
| • Janet Howell | • Jill Vogel, Chair | |||
| • Creigh Deeds | • Bryce Reeves | |||
| • John Edwards, Virginia Senator | • Thomas Garrett | |||
| • Donald McEachin | • A. Benton Chafin | |||
| • John Miller (Virginia) | • Bill R. DeSteph, Jr | |||
| • Adam Ebbin | • Amanda Chase | |||
| • Glen Sturtevant | ||||
2015 legislative session
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2015 legislative session.
| Privileges and Elections Members, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (7) | Republican members (8) | |||
| • Janet Howell | • Jill Vogel, Chair | |||
| • Creigh Deeds | • Steve Martin (Virginia) | |||
| • John Edwards, Virginia Senator | • Mark Obenshain | |||
| • Donald McEachin | • Ralph Smith | |||
| • Kenny Alexander | • Bill Carrico | |||
| • John Miller (Virginia) | • Bryce Reeves | |||
| • Roz Dance | • Thomas Garrett | |||
| • John Cosgrove | ||||
2014 legislative session
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2014 legislative session.
| Privileges and Elections Committee Members, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (7) | Republican members (8) | |||
| • Janet Howell | • Mark Obenshain, Chair | |||
| • Creigh Deeds | • Stephen Martin | |||
| • John Edwards, Virginia Senator | • Ralph Smith | |||
| • John Chapman "Chap" Petersen | • Jill Vogel | |||
| • Kenny Alexander | • Jeffrey McWaters | |||
| • Jennifer Wexton | • Bill Carrico | |||
| • Donald McEachin | • Bryce Reeves | |||
| • Thomas Garrett | ||||
2012-2013
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2012 legislative session.
| Privileges and Elections Committee Members, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (7) | Republican members (8) | |||
| • Creigh Deeds | • Mark Obenshain, Chairman | |||
| • John Edwards, Virginia Senator | • Bill Carrico | |||
| • Janet Howell | • Thomas Garrett | |||
| • Donald McEachin | • Stephen Martin | |||
| • Ralph Northam | • Jeffrey McWaters | |||
| • John Chapman "Chap" Petersen | • Bryce Reeves | |||
| • Phillip Puckett | • Ralph Smith | |||
| • Jill Vogel | ||||
2010-2011
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2010 legislative session.
| Privileges and Elections Committee Members, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (9) | Republican members (6) | |||
| • Janet Howell, Chair | • Stephen Martin | |||
| • Creigh Deeds | • Ken Stolle | |||
| • Mary Whipple | • Mark Obenshain | |||
| • Phillip Puckett | • Harry Blevins | |||
| • John Edwards, Virginia Senator | • Ralph Smith | |||
| • Donald McEachin | • Jill Vogel | |||
| • Chap Petersen | ||||
| • George Barker | ||||
| • Ralph Northam | ||||
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Virginia State Legislature, "Rules of the Senate of Virginia," accessed February 22, 2021 (Rule 18)
- ↑ Virginia State Legislature, "Rules of the Senate of Virginia," accessed February 22, 2021 (Rule 20(e))
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
