Va. GOP Closes Its Reduced Ranks

Renewed Unity Dissolves Cooperation With Democrats

RICHMOND -- A few weeks ago, Republican leaders from the Senate and House proudly stood side by side at a news conference to herald a new era of cooperation between the two chambers.

It was a small but significant gesture for the Virginia GOP, which for years has struggled to collect its divergent strands and unite them into a cohesive group.

For much of the past decade, the conservatives in the House and the more moderate Republicans in the Senate were often at odds, not only on such hot-button issues as abortion and gun control but also on spending and taxes.

Now Republicans in the General Assembly say old resentments have faded in the wake of major losses in the fall elections that gave Democrats control of the Senate and more seats in the House.

"I think the GOP is getting its groove back," said Del. Timothy D. Hugo (R-Fairfax), recently named to the House Republican leadership team.

The greater unity, however, has widened the chasm between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, who for years were known for their ability to find common, moderate ground. That collegial relationship has dissolved, resulting in more party line votes and an unprecedented clash this week over the state budget.

Since the 60-day session began early last month, some Senate Republicans have taken an overall more conservative stand.

They voted against a bill that would have allowed local governments to expand health-care benefits to their employees' same-sex partners, even though many had voted for it last year. They embraced a bill that would allow customers to bring concealed weapons into restaurants, a proposal that had not had much traction in previous years.

And for the first time in recent history, Republicans voted in a bloc to reject the Senate's two-year spending plan and instead endorsed a budget closer to one written by the Republican-controlled House.

"I think the unity was extremely gratifying. They hung together on all those close votes," said John H. Hager, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, who has spent significant time this session on Capitol Square. "They are unified in working for the Republican principle."

The change, observers say, began last spring as lawmakers hammered out a landmark transportation plan. Republican lawmakers, aiming to stem the Democratic tide in Northern Virginia, sought to unite behind a plan to pump more than $300 million into road and rail improvements across the state.

While campaigning in the fall, House and Senate Republicans held a series of joint announcements to unveil their priorities for the legislative session, including expanding the number of community-based health clinics for the uninsured, requiring sheriffs to check inmates' immigration status and increasing money for school construction.