One of the reasons I entered politics was to help people in difficult circumstances. Of all the times that we should marshal the resources of our communities and government, it should be during disasters. Americans’ history of doing just that is now threatened by some … [Read more...]
General Assembly 2011
The main issues I had to contend with during the 2011 Virginia General Assembly session included legislative redistricting, transportation funding, education funding, whether or not to privatize the ABC, contributions to the Virginia Retirement System (VRS), protecting victims of dating violence, and environmental protection.
Below, I've provided a brief summary of each of my updates from the General Assembly with links to the full text of each of them.
Time to Change the Frame
August 8, 2011 Watching the recent debt ceiling debate in Washington was discouraging, not just because of the vitriol pervasive in the exchanges, but the nature of the discussion itself. We have now come to the point in this country where our focus is not on how we can rebuild … [Read more...]
New Laws go into Effect July 1, 2011
General Assembly Update (7/1/11) Today marks the effective date on hundreds of new laws passed by the 2011 General Assembly. I am proud to have passed several bills this year that will promote solar energy generation, make mortgage refinance easier, and streamline adoptee's … [Read more...]
Redistricting & Attacks on Sustainability
General Assembly Update (6/20/11) On June 9, 2011, I returned to Richmond for a one-day session to discuss redistricting of Congressional Districts in the Commonwealth. Two competing plans have emerged, one from the Republican-controlled House and one from the … [Read more...]
Redistricting Finalized
General Assembly Update (4/29/11) After a series of stops and starts, the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate agreed on a redistricting plan for the 100 Delegate and 40 Senate districts of the Commonwealth. It passed with veto-proof majorities in both chambers, … [Read more...]