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Virginia Capitol C onnections, Summer 2016
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One of several promising actions in the 2016 General Assembly
session was the revival of the Capital Region Caucus. Local
governments, VCU and business leaders commended the reconvening
of the 21 legislators from the capital region—Richmond, Henrico,
Hanover and Chesterfield—into a collaborative group.
Delegate Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) sees the caucus
as an opportunity for regional legislators to “collaborate on policy
decisions that will promote the health, development and welfare of
the greater region.”
The Capital Region Caucus was first organized in the 90s at the
instigation of Jim Dunn, then president of the Greater Richmond
Chamber of Commerce, but it had not met since 2011. Explanations
vary. One regular attendee said, “There was a lack of interest. There
was no defined leadership.”
Barrett Hardiman, director of government relations for Luck
Companies and chairman of the Transportation Committee of the
Greater Richmond Chamber, said he kept hearing there was interest
in reviving the Caucus. Since Delegates Chris Peace (R-Hanover) and
McClellan had collaborated for several years with op-ed columns in
the Richmond Times-Dispatch, they seemed a likely pair to approach,
Hardiman decided.
In early December, he met with both delegates. “They said they
would like to talk to the others. They said they didn’t want to do it if
people wouldn’t come,” Hardiman said.
The Northern Virginia Delegation is the model for an effective
caucus. Partisan politics generally is left outside the conference room
as the delegationmembers meet to work together for their constituents.
When the explosive growth of Northern Virginia began in the 70s,
it didn’t take long for elected leaders to figure out that if their 38
legislators came together, they could have clout. The delegation was
able to swing votes for transportation, higher education and more.
Seeing the success of the Northern Virginians, a Hampton Roads
caucus, 33 legislators, meets weekly during the General Assembly.
Sen. Bill DeSteph (R-Virginia Beach) and Del. Monty Mason
(D-Williamsburg) head the caucus that meets at 8 a.m. Thursdays,
also in the Speaker’s conference room. “We get a pretty good turnout.
The Speakers room is usually full,” said Julie Eyler, aide to Sen.
DeSteph. The caucus meets a couple of times a year as well.
The Richmond delegation settled on 8 a.m. for four Friday
mornings during the session. Meetings were substantive and
legislators’ interest was lively.
Economic development was the topic of the first meeting in
January. Kim Scheeler, president of the Greater Richmond Chamber
of Commerce (now Chamber RVA) and chairman of the Board of
Commissioners of the Virginia Port Authority, told the legislators
about improvements underway at the Port of Richmond. A new
crane, arriving in days, would replace a World War II era crane and
provide opportunity for immense growth of James River shipping
to Richmond. That means jobs, he said.
With every barge that arrives at the improved Port, 120 trucks
will come off the road. Rail improvements worth $600,000 will take
barge shipments off highways, Scheeler said.
The other three meetings focused on transportation, education,
and regional economic development and featured speakers including
Secretary of Transportation, Aubrey Lane, and Richmond Public
Schools Superintendent Dana Bedden.
Attendance was from seven to nine House of Delegates members.
No senators attended any of the meetings. An Assembly watchdog
defended the three newly elected senators’ absence as a result of
being overwhelmed with their new jobs. There are six senators and
15 House of Delegates members in the Caucus.
Capital Region Caucus Revived But Will It Continue?By Nancy Finch
Continued on next page
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