Once again the state legislature has completed the annual session of the General Assembly, essentially on time (24 hours later than schedule) and on budget.

Thank you for sharing your views on the 2,000+ bills that were introduced. I appreciate having seen and heard from hundreds of constituents in my office during January, February, and March. This newsletter is designed to share some of the highlights (and occasionally what I consider to be “lowlights”) of those 60 days. For more thorough coverage of the legislation, please go to leg1.state.va.us. You can track bills by number, by member that introduced them, and/or by subject.

As Majority Leader in the Senate, a good bit of my time during session was spent leading the Senate Democratic Caucus and controlling the flow of legislation on the floor of the Senate, while working with a new Governor and adjusting to a larger majority of Republicans in the House of Delegates.

During the interim, I am often in the community as a speaker. Additionally, feel free to contact me either by email, phone or schedule a meeting on matters of concern
to you.

Very truly yours,

 

June 2010

2010-2012 State Budget
July 1st marks the beginning of the state’s fiscal year. Reviewing the past several newsletters I noted that the biennial budget has dominated both the session and these yearly summaries. In spite of the fact that our nation continues to struggle in the grips of the worse recession of our lifetime with a most volatile economy, the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia mandates a balanced budget. In the off year, we must produce a caboose budget bill (which ends the current fiscal year) reconciling any and all revenue adjustments. During the even year sessions, we must also produce a biennial budget based on the best information available at the time. ...more

Constitutional Amendments
As required by the Virginia Constitution, the following measures have been passed by the Legislature in both 2009 and 2010. Therefore, these amendments will appear on the ballot for approval by the voters in the November election. ...more

• Property Tax Exemption for Certain Veterans
• Property Tax Exemption for Seniors and Disabled Citizens
• Revenue Stabilization Fund
• Charter School Applications

Legislation of Interest
Further details are available here.

• E-Verify Program
• Motor Vehicle Title Loans
• Green Jobs Tax Credit
• Income Tax Deduction
• Individual Health Insurance Coverage
• Dental Insurance Plans
• Health Insurance for Telemedicine Services
• “MOVE OVER" Law
• Death Penalty Statute Enhanced

See past Press Releases here.