Update: The Virginia Senate just voted to censure Amanda Chase
Senator Amanda Chase was censured by the Virginia Senate
The Virginia state Senate just voted to censure Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield). View a thread below that was created as the session was happening:
The censure resolution for @AmandaChaseVA is on the Senate floor now. Republican Leader Tommy Norment is moving to advance the bill to the final reading. Now Norment is moving to suspend the rules so that final reading can take place today.
Every senator but Chase agreed to suspend the rules so the Senate can take up this final version of the bill. The censure resolution's sponsor John Bell (D-Loudon) said he hated having to use a bill spot for this censure. He said it is an issue of right v wrong though.
Bell said Chase's behavior has put the honor of the institution at risk. He said he worked with Chase and she told him she would apologize, but he said she fell short of that. "This body was here before us, godwilling it will be here long after we are gone."
GOP Senate Leader Tommy Norment is now speaking in support of the censure. "I am only speaking as the Senator from James City County," he said. He said he echoes the fact that they do not have to be there, he compliments Bell for extending compassion and opportunities to avoid
Norment said Chase asked to rejoin the GOP caucus earlier this week. He said she was told she has to earn the trust of the Republicans first. He said the next day she posted on twitter that she might join the Patriot party. He said her hipocisy makes his blood pressure rise
Norment is now saying that Chase lied about not filing a censure against @SenLouiseLucas, he said in fact she did file the censure. Chase said on the floor that she did not. (Chase also told me she filed the resolution multiple times.)
Republican Senator Mark Obenshain says Chase has done nothing to show Virginians that she has any substance, maturity, or seriousness to be a state Senator or gubernatorial candidate.
Obenshain said he does not believe that Chase can call any legislator in the entire General Assembly an ally. He says he is concerned about her narcissistic behavior. Obenshain notes, however, that he is concerned about 1st amendment issues. He says he will not vote at all on it.
Senator Steve Newman (R) says this is a terrible day for the Senate. He says the senate rules really matter, Newman says 53b is so clear, he says he tends to agree with some of the stuff in the resolution. Newman says he does not believe the substitute motion was properly heard.
Newman said he is voting against it, he says he is embarrassed by Chase, calling it undefendable, but he doesn't believe the process was carried out correctly. He says he hopes Chase can get the help that she needs.
Bill Stanley (R) is speaking now. He says it is not "about us" but the people they serve. He said he was excited when Chase entered the senate, called her a breath of fresh air, he said she had a great start. "So much promise, so much hope"
"If we do not control ourselves we are subject to greed," .. calling her entitled, saying she demands to be called a senator, "You believe you're entitled to a parking spot out front."
"To lie on the floor of the senate is beyond reproach," said Sen. Stanley. He says the senators work together behind the scenes to try and work together, saying sometimes they cant but they do not go on social media and call each other names.
Stanley said he will not support the resolution, but he will also not reward Chase with a no vote. He said he is walking out of the chamber until the censure is done. "Do not reward the children for the bad behavior," he says he understands why the censure is happening.
.@JillHVogel (R) said there has never been a time while she has been a senator. where any other member has been deceitful or openly dishonest. "The fact we are spending the time on this says something about seriously we take our obligation," to act like a senator.
Vogel said she is embarrassed by Chase. "I find it so distressing that this has continued," Vogel does not say if she will be supporting the censure.
Senator Joe Morrissey is now speaking. Asking Senator Newman to explain what he meant by saying that he believes the matter should be sent back to P&E.
"Honestly the senate of VA has sent an enormous amount of time getting to this point," is the reason that Newman did not make the motion. Morrissey is now making an inquiry, asking if they should only consider the 4 corners of resolution 91,
or other factors like the comments Chase made last night against Norment. Morrissey wants to consider comments that were made today. This is weird. The senate is at ease.
They are back now, Morrissey Fairfax responds that the senators are only considering the reasons listed in the document, not the latest comments that happened. Morrissey asks if they are voting on all 8 points at once, and Fairfax confirms. It will be one vote.
Morrissey is not speaking. He says that the one thing drilled into his brain since joining the senate is that they follow the rules of the senate. He says people in the future will dissect whether they get this right by following the correct process.
Morrissey said some of the points in the bill warrant censure, while some don't. He says Amanda Chase saying that @JennMcClellanVA is not for all Virginians is false, but he said it is protected speech. He also says when Chase said "I don't do Covid" was protected.
Morrissey said Chase calling the Jan 6 rioters "patriots" was censurable. He said he asked her to denounce the white supremacist from that day and she did not do that. "I am convinced that her failure to apologize and denounce that is censurable," says Morrissey.
He said he supports censure but asks Fairfax if SR91 is properly before the body. Fairfax responds and says that the censure resolution is not properly before the body.
Senator Dick Saslaw is appealing the ruling of the Chair. The Senate voted to overrule Fairfax. The censure motion will move forward.
Chase is speaking now, and is saying that the time of this has to do with @petesnyder and @GlennYoungkin announcing their candidacies for Governor this week. She asks why the body didn't care about her Capital Police incident back when it happened.
