Today marks the close of the 2011 General Assembly session.  Thanks to everyone who wrote, called, or visited during the session to advocate for a bill or issue, express a concern, or just say hello.  Your participation in our democratic process makes a huge difference!

While we were originally scheduled to adjourn on Saturday, the budget conferees needed an extra day to wrap things up.  I have a huge amount of respect for the conferees, who must balance fighting for a particular priority with compromising to let the process move forward.  The vote on the budget is straight up or down – with no opportunity for further amendments. 

As always, there are things that I like and don’t like about the budget.  On the good side, the budget includes an additional $30 million that will be used to improve services for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  It also provides $10 million for a new Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund that will provide matching grants for research with the potential for commercialization in Virginia, more than doubles (from $50 million to $114 million) the amount going to the Rainy Day Fund, restores some cuts to Medicaid reimbursement rates, increases funding for higher education as part of a plan to increase in-state undergraduate seats by 1,725, and eliminates the Accelerated Sales Tax (AST) on 80% of Virginia businesses.  The latter is a budgetary sleight of hand that requires retailers to accelerate payment of their sales tax at the end of the year.  This is what allowed the FY2010 budget to balance.  However, it was really at the expense of the FY2011 budget.  I am very glad that the AST is on its way to being eliminated – hopefully never to return. 

While there are several budget items that I don’t agree with, the one that I have the most heart-burn with is the decision to keep the “hold harmless” provision for school systems that were negatively affected by last year’s change to the Local Composite Index.  As a refresher, the LCI is a funding formula, based on local ability to pay, used to determine Virginia’s share of K-12 education funding.  Our area pays out much more than we receive back.  However, because of declining property values, most of Northern Virginia actually gained funding under the formula last year.  That is only fair.  However, to ease the burden on the school systems that would lose money, a “hold harmless” clause was added to the budget to keep funding flat for those localities.  I think that is bad policy and undermines the legitimacy of the formula.  That said, it isn’t a deal breaker.

Overall, I commend the conferees for their work and voted for the budget.

This session I had the honor to serve as chief co-patron of legislation introduced by Delegate Chris Stolle (R-Virginia Beach) designed to help veterans who have fallen on tough times.  Based on successful programs in New York and Pennsylvania, House Bill 1691 allows local courts to establish special dockets for veterans and active military service members who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury and run into trouble with the law.

According to a 2008 RAND Corporation study, nearly 20 percent of our service men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.  Many more suffer from traumatic brain injury – both diagnosed and undiagnosed.  Fewer than half of these individuals actually seek treatment for PTSD or depression.  Unfortunately, while trying to recover, some of these veterans fall into drug and alcohol abuse or commit minor crimes and end up in the criminal justice system.  It is during these trying times that our veterans need our assistance the most.

The premise behind HB1691 is to provide alternatives to incarceration when possible and to ensure that judges are aware of the rehabilitative programs offered by state and federal agencies as well as local veterans organizations.  In New York the program had a 90% successful completion rate, without a single case of recidivism.  The legislation was spearheaded by the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations, which represents over two dozen veteran service organizations in Virginia, and passed the House and Senate unanimously.

Today, the House of Delegates unanimously approved my HB2103 that requires the Pickett Road Tank Farm to meet safety requirements for newer above-ground fuel storage tanks.  A version in the Senate, Chap Petersen’s SB843, also passed unanimously.  This facility previously leaked over 200,000 gallons of fuel into the ground and was the impetus for Virginia adopting tougher standards in the early 1990s.  Ironically, the regulations grandfathered older tanks at the facility where the problem occurred in the first place.  HB2103 and SB843 will ensure that all tanks at the facility are double-bottomed or have release prevention barriers. Visit FairfaxCityPatch for a full length article.

Electric vehicles have the potential to dramatically change the way we travel.  Not only will this technology help revitalize our domestic auto industry, it will also reduce air pollution and increase national security by reducing our reliance on foreign oil.  Governor McDonnell has made electric vehicles a top priority, stating  “I am committed to having Virginia state government lead the way.  The easier we make it for electric cars to operate in the commonwealth, the more we will encourage private citizens and businesses, and local governments and agencies, to purchase these vehicles.”

I am proud to be carrying HB 2105, which is an important part of the effort to remove unnecessary barriers to the wide-spread deployment of the infrastructure needed to support electric vehicles.  Specifically, under current law, only a public utility can sell electricity.  This would prevent entrepreneurs from being able to sell electricity using new quick-plug technology.  HB 2105, which is supported by the Governor, removes this barrier for transportation purposes.  This past Wednesday, the bill passed the full House unanimously and now goes over to the Senate for their consideration.

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of hosting students from Olde Creek Elementary whose artwork is being displayed in the General Assembly Building.  As their theme, the students chose the “Architecture and Symbols of Virginia” and examined how our colonial heritage impacts modern architecture, government, and culture.  Each student designed his/her own image and transferred it to burlap. 

After the reception, the artists and their families toured the Capitol and had a chance to sit in the House Chamber.  Thanks to all of our talented artists and their art teachers at Olde Creek Elementary for their great work and to the parents who took the time to make the trip to Richmond.