The 2016 Session of the Virginia General Assembly is scheduled to end on Saturday, March 12, and there is significant work remaining. Most efforts are now focused on reconciling the House and Senate budgets. The good news is that there is a lot of common ground; both bodies … [Read more...]
General Assembly 2016
A Note on the Gun Compromise
Shortly after I was elected to the General Assembly in 2006, I offered a bill designed to protect victims of domestic violence and help Commonwealth’s Attorneys prosecute cases. Under the bill, I proposed the insertion of a simple word -- “possession”-- into the list of … [Read more...]
Good Choices and Missed Opportunities
The House and the Senate acted on their respective budgets on Thursday, February 25, 2016. The Governor’s proposed budget includes many good items, such as substantial increases in K-12 and higher education, and for the most part the House budget embraced the Governor’s approach. … [Read more...]
Two Supreme Court Justices Lost
I gave remarks on the floor of the House of Delegates. The prepared text is below and is followed by a video of my remarks. TOSCANO STATEMENT (AS PREPARED) ON DEATH OF ANTONIN SCALIA AND FAILURE TO CONFIRM JANE ROUSH – FEBRUARY 17, 2016 Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of … [Read more...]
Crossover has Passed: the Budget Awaits
With crossover behind us, the next major event will be the release of the House and Senate budgets on Sunday, with the debate to occur next Thursday. In the last several days, the House considered two controversial measures: the so-called Government Nondiscrimination Act and a … [Read more...]