From the Washington Post:

Members of the Virginia General Assembly said this was the year they needed to rise above petty political differences to make the necessary painful choices on government spending during the worst recession in a generation.

But they spent their first week in session beset by partisan bickering and testy floor fights. They fought over the seating of a just-elected Democratic delegate and introduced dozens of bills intended for partisan gain — limiting fundraising, changing election laws, calling for an independent redistricting commission. A Democratic plan to allow early voting died in a House subcommittee Monday on a party-line vote.

At the root of the tension is an inescapable aspect of the 45-day legislative session that began last week: It’s an election year.

Read the Rest…