Democrats Savor New Majority Status

The division among Democrats on some issues is already apparent.

Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw, a pro-business Democrat from Fairfax, has urged a go-slow approach in cracking down on the payday loan industry. But the five black Senate Democrats, four of whom are committee chairmen, are pushing for aggressive reform of the industry, which advances people money against their paychecks at high interest rates.

Some rural Democrats have also announced that they oppose Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's proposal to close a loophole that allows people to buy firearms at gun shows without a background check.

And even though Senate Democrats are unified in calling for money for transportation, they have yet to come up with a unified stance on how to pay for it. There could also be strain when the Senate begins considering Kaine's proposed budget, which may have to be cut because the economy shows signs it could be headed into a recession.

"Are we going to be on the same page on every single bill? Of course not," said Saslaw, a 30-year veteran of the House and Senate who is respected by Republicans and Democrats alike -- even though he can be fiercely partisan.

The Senate has long been a civil and collaborative body, especially compared with the more informal House of Delegates. But Saslaw is facing a new dynamic in the Senate that may make his job harder.

Under GOP control, then-Senate President John H. Chichester and a group of moderate GOP senators aligned with Democrats to battle conservatives in the House over taxes and social issues.

Saslaw vowed he will try to maintain those relationships with Senate Republicans. But conservative senators, who added to their numbers after the Nov. 6 election, are looking for ways to sharpen the ideological differences between the two parties.

Party line votes have traditionally been rare on Senate committees. But on Wednesday, all seven Republicans on the Courts of Justice Committee voted against a proposal to raise the state's gasoline tax by 2.5 cents a gallon. The eight Democrats supported the proposal, which now goes to the Finance Committee.

With partisanship expected in the weeks to come, Saslaw may discover he doesn't have as much influence as some previous Senate leaders.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Democratic Sen. Hunter B. Andrews wielded enormous clout because he was the majority leader and chairman of the powerful Finance Committee. Earlier this decade, Chichester, as Finance Committee chairman, held the real power in the Senate, even though Sen. Walter A. Stosche (R-Henrico) was majority leader.

In the current leadership structure, Sen. Charles J. Colgan (D-Prince William) chairs the Finance Committee. Saslaw chairs the Commerce and Labor Committee.