March 3, 2008
AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2008 GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Dear friend,
As these lines are written we are less than a week from adjournment of a productive and surprisingly tame Session of General Assembly for 2008. Final debates should be relatively few, and most debates will be about modest elements of the biennial budget for 2008-2010 to take effect
July l.
That the national economy potentially faces what The Financial Times describes as “the mother of all meltdowns” has, predictably, sobered budget discussions in the House and also in the Senate and even, to a lesser extent, in the Administration of the Governor. Only two weeks ago we were told that the budget is running a $1 billion shortfall that could balloon to $2.1 billion by 2010. Accordingly, not only is the Governor proposing broad cuts in the Administration, but no increases in taxes will emerge from Assembly, though the Senate narrowly recommended a rise in the tax rate on gasoline that was not approved by the House.
Beyond the budget, no issue rose to prominence, though efforts, including my own via House Bill 1351, to reform payday lending, engaged numerous legislators for days at a time. Prospects for reform of existing law governing payday lenders seemed unlikely during negotiations this week. If changes arise in the concluding days of Session I will report on these through the press. By the way, when a Richmond paper’s reporter described me as “an ally of payday lenders,” I invited him to review my position so that it would be clear that I am rather an ally of justice and fairness for all interested parties, including borrowers and lenders. Justice in this instance requires us to consider the 400,000-plus Virginians most of whom responsibly use payday loans for amounts that are too small to be borrowed from a bank or similar institution. It was just this concern that guided negotiators through the past few weeks in quest of a reasonable reform bill.
As for the budget, significantly, delegates approved the House proposal by a huge bi-partisan margin of 93-5. (All five opponents were Democrats from northern Virginia.) That the alternate budget passed in the Senate by only 21-19 suggested, going into these final days, that the House version has stronger support.
Ensuring Quality Public Education
Significant, too, is the fact that only the House—not the Senate and not the Governor—included in its budget (1) a two percent salary increase commencing in July for public school teachers, (2) a further 1.14 percent salary increase for teachers in 2009, and (3) protects and increases funding for school construction.
In sum, the House budget devotes $13.0 billion for K-12 public education in 2008-2010, an amount that is $1.1 billion more than allocated for public schooling during 2006-2008.
Further, the House budget provides for public education $193 million more than proposed by the Governor and $68 million more than proposed by the Senate.
For example, for Powhatan Schools the House allots $47,943, 435, compared to $47,450,555 proposed by the Senate and $46,994,555 by the Governor, respectively.
For Chesterfield Schools the House assigns $660,408,070, compared to $654,622,749 by the Senate and $648,220,081 by the Governor, respectively.
House Budget’s Other Highlights
The House budget also:
- Provides state employees with a salary increase that was not included in the Governor’s budget for the next fiscal year;
- Protects $110 million in school construction grants currently provided for through the Lottery Proceeds Fund and through existing state General Funds;
- Provides an additional $70 million in supplemental school construction grants;
- Provides $42 million in new spending for mental health programs, an action taken in response to the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech last year;
- Provides additional funding for 800 new ‘MR Waiver’ slots over the next two years—though Virginia currently has a waiting list of some 3,800 families for this service;
- Provides $85 million in operating support for our colleges and universities. These funds should help contain the cost of tuition, which for in-state institutions has risen 40 percent over the past four years alone.
By comparison, the Senate would not provide teachers a pay raise in fiscal year 2009 and only a 2.5 percent rise in fiscal year 2010.
To achieve these programmatic gains, the House not only did not raise taxes but ensured that a reasonable withdrawal from the state’s “Rainy Day Fund” would be devoted solely to current programs, not to new initiatives. To provide these needed increases in critical and consensus public agencies, the House eliminated or reduced several new or experimental programs proposed by the Governor, including his pre-kindergarten initiative. All told, the House reduced revenues—hence spending—for this fiscal year by $980 million. The reduction is a direct response to the dramatic slowdown in the state’s private-sector economy.
Powhatan Park Funding Probable
Just as significantly, both the House and Senate unanimously approved a companion bill, HB 1547 (“The 21st Century Capital Improvement Program”). This is a $1.8 billion bond initiative that provides for full development of a proposed state park in Powhatan. (The Senate budget included $2.1 million for the park, as a separate line item.)
The bond package provides for 65 projects—mostly at public colleges and universities—that would result in an economic stimulus of $1.2 billion over the next two years. Another 30 projects valued at $600 million are approved for preplanning in 2010.
Powhatan Tax Relief for Elderly
At the request and with the assistance of county supervisors and staff, I was able to introduce legislation (HB1428) that, after its incorporation into HB 698, adds Powhatan to the localities that may provide real estate tax exemptions to elderly or handicapped persons. The eligibility requirement is an income and net worth that do not exceed $62,000 and $350,000, respectively.
Other Bills of Local Interest
With able assistance from Winston C. Marshall of Powhatan, an officer of the Virginia Trappers Association, my two bills improving regulations for trappers (HB 114 and HB 115) were unanimously passed by both chambers.
HB 113, to allow prosecution of motorists who, in eluding law-enforcement officers, cause injury or, worse, death, as in the case of our community’s own Deputy Robbie Green, was still in the Senate in these final days. Robbie’s father, Charlie Green, supervisor for District 2, has made several trips to the Capitol to help get this bill through the legislature.
My HB 849, to improve the Land Preservation tax credits program and passed unanimously by the House, is expected to be okayed by the Senate, too.
General Assembly Reconvenes April 16
Assembly will reconvene on April 16 for the “Veto Session,” to consider actions that will have been taken by the Governor on bills that passed both chambers of the legislature. In the meantime, Session will have concluded, so I will be able to report on the final status of numerous other bills of high interest to 65th District constituents.
For example, still undecided in the Senate were several House bills that address the deepening effects within Virginia of the federal government’s failure to control illegal immigration throughout the country. The House passed four major bills (numbers 623, 14, 820, 440, and 926) that would greatly improve the state’s ability effectively to respond to the consequences of illegal immigration. I supported each of these bills.
Also, the Senate was reviewing House-passed bills on tax relief and reform, consumer protection, health care reform, environmental protection, veterans and military affairs, law enforcement and public safety, economic development, and transportation. Among the health care reform bills was HB 894, patroned by Delegate Matt Lohr of Rockingham. This would increase the safety of Virginians by requiring that abortion clinics be licensed and that such clinics comply with the requirements currently in place for ambulatory surgery centers. I supported the bill.
Thanks to Constituents
As usual, hundreds of constituents sent me emails, regular mail, called by ‘phone, or visited, helping me maintain the proper connection with the fundamental purpose of the General Assembly, which is to represent the people’s interests and conduct the people’s business. Each constituent’s message is reviewed and taken into account as my votes are cast, and I do my best to make sure that everyone receives at least an acknowledgement, and more often than not a brief original reply, to their question, concern, or suggestion.
I also maintain close contact with the locally elected officials of both Powhatan and Chesterfield counties. Chesterfield supervisors met with me and other Members of the House or Senate who represent some portion of Chesterfield. Powhatan supervisors and staff keep me well informed of their interests and concerns. Schools officials also provided me helpful information. As usual, I conferred numerous times with neighboring delegates, notably Sam Nixon, Watkins Abbitt, Kirk Cox, and Manoli Loupassi, because our close cooperation boosts the region’s voice on statewide issues, and of course I kept in touch, too, with our Senator John Watkins.
After adjournment I look forward to seeing constituents to review the final outcome of the Session’s actions on bills that were pending in the final days. I hope to see you along the way.
Cordially,
R. Lee Ware
Posted on March 16th, 2008 by PowhatanGOP
Filed under: Del. Lee Ware, General Assembly 2008 |
