By Chad Bernard

Large or small, banks exist in just about every county, city and town in Virginia. The Virginia Bankers Association looks out for the interests of those institutions.

With so many banks in so many areas, it’s no wonder the association was the sixth largest campaign donor to Virginia legislators during the 1999 elections, dispensing $175,470 in contributions.

"We’re in every district," VBA lobbyist Ray La Mura said. "We have over 200 community and commercial banks, and every member has an interest."

Well, almost every member. The VBA gave to 81 of 100 members of the House of Delegates. House members received a total of $100,120, with Democrats getting slightly more than Republicans - $53,200 to $46,420. (The group gave $500 to Independent Lacey Putney.)

The delegates who received the most money in the House were:

• Thomas W. Moss, D-Norfolk, with $7,000.
• C. Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, with $5,000.

Moss and Cranwell top the list of many political donors. Until this legislative session, Democrats controlled the House: Moss was speaker, and Cranwell was majority leader. Because of their influential positions, they attracted a lot of campaign contributions.

"Have you asked anyone else why these guys are always at the top of the list?" La Mura asked. "Members of leadership are on both sides of the aisle so to speak."

But the Virginia Bankers Association’s political action committee, Bank PAC, gave to many legislators with lower profiles, too. The PAC reviews and considers request forms sent in by the association’s members.

"The legislators usually send in a request with a range of dollars, and then you get an invitation to attend an event," La Mura said. "The PAC reviews the forms and considers what committees they sit on and decide from there."

The largest contributions to Republicans in the House were:

• $3,270 given to Delegate S. Vance Wilkins, Jr., R-Amherst. He is the current House speaker.

• $3,000 to Delegate John H. Rust, Jr., R-Fairfax.

Thirty-six of the 40 senators also received contributions, totaling $75,350, from the Virginia Bankers Association. This time the Republicans took the lion’s share – $42,350 to $33,000 – but the largest contributions went to Democrats:

• Sen. Richard J. Holland, D-Windsor, got $8,000.

• Sen. Richard L. Saslaw, D-Springfield, the chamber’s minority leader, collected $7,500.

Holland and Saslaw both are on the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee and on the panel’s Finance subcommittee.

Sen. Walter A. Stosch, R-Henrico, received $5,200, the most given to a Republican. Stosch is the Senate’s majority leader and a member of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee and its Finance subcommittee.

Sen. Thomas K. Norment, Jr., R-Williamsburg, received $4,600 from the bankers’ group. Care to guess what committee he is on? The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee – and its Finance subcommittee.