The first full week of the 2012 Session is now behind us, and at this point we are reviewing full dockets of legislation in our respective committees and sub-committees, along with presenting our own bills for consideration.

While most bills are still being debated in committee, there are a number of important issues that I would like to bring your attention to in this week’s newsletter.

Uranium Mining

On Thursday, Governor McDonnell announced that he will not seek legislation to lift the moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia until a pending comprehensive study of the issue is completed by a newly-created multi-agency state workgroup. I applaud the Governor’s decision to allow everyone to continue to gather information and learn more about the issue before positions are taken on whether or not to lift the moratorium. Uranium mining has been a widely discussed topic over the past year, but more time is needed to ensure that the uranium can be mined safely. While uranium mining offers a potential positive economic impact for Southside and the entire state, the safety of all Virginians must come first.

Local Mandates Task Force

On Monday, Governor McDonnell announced the findings of a task forced aimed at reducing mandates on localities. The task force has recommended the removal of twenty mandates, such as the Circuit Courts current ability to mandate that localities construct a new courthouse.

Many conservative legislators often criticize the seemingly endless federal mandates handed down from Washington that are forced upon states and localities. It is appropriate for us to take a closer look at the mandates that the state places upon the localities to eliminate those that may pose an unnecessary burden upon them.

My Legislation

While the majority of my bills have yet to go before committee, I did have several that successfully passed sub-committee.

House Bill 96: This legislation, which I also successfully patroned last year, extends the delay of the implementation of certain new regulations placed upon public schools. Even if the proposed increase in funding for k-12 education remains in the final biennium budget that is adopted, many public school systems will still be struggling to provide the quality of education necessary to meet our current standards. They do not need additional burdens placed upon them.

House Bill 97: This legislation would permit two motorcycles to ride side by side in a single lane. Currently, Virginia treats this as reckess driving, a class one misdemeanor. Only Vermont and Virginia prohibit this practice.

As a motorcyclist myself, I find that sometimes it would be helpful to pull aside another rider to communicate. Additionally it is often standard for motorcyclists to pull aside each other at a stop sign or stoplight. Both of these aforementioned examples would currently be considered reckless driving under Virginia law.

HB 336: Provides that in distributing revenues of the Virginia Land Conservation Fund (VLCF), these funds are not to be distributed to the federal government. Starting just last year, a portion of the funds in the VLCF were used to compensate administrators of land conservation easements. These administrators are entities that make sure landowners understand and follow the terms of conservation easements that the landowner entered their property into. The administrators of a few of these easements are federal government agencies.

The Commonwealth is in no way mandated by the federal government to compensate these federal agencies. These resources that are currently being paid to the federal government can be better utilized by state and local organizations. The federal government places a lot of unfunded mandates upon the states, so in instances when we have no reason to pay, we shouldn’t!

HB 337: This bill gives state agencies that administer licensing and certification exams a broader ability to seek punishment against those that fraudulently obtain, or help others in fraudulently obtaining, a license or certification for a particular profession.
Broader language is needed because there has been a steady rise in individuals taking exams for others. As the code is currently written, there is no authority to punish those paying others to take the exam, and questionable authority as to whether or not the person taking the exam can be punished.

Visitors

I was fortunate to have a number of constituent visits regarding numerous issues over the course of this past week. Among these visitors were a number of student groups, including folks from JMU, EMU, and several homeschoolers. In addition, I visited with local individuals with the Family Foundation, Tea Party, Boys and Girls Club, Collins Center, Virginia Interfaith Center, and several school officials including President Rose of JMU.

Contact Me

My staff and I are here in Richmond to serve you. My office can be reached at (804) 698-1026 or via email at Deltwilt@house.virginia.gov. Of course I always welcome individuals to stop by in person, our office is located in room 526 of the General Assembly Building.

By: Jeremy Hunt

HARRISONBURG — When businesses botch their local tax filings, Rockingham County taxpayers often pay the price. In 2011, the Board of Supervisors authorized refunds of about $2.2 million in overpaid taxes to companies that made mistakes on their personal property tax returns over the last several years.

To read more, please visit: http://dnronline.com/article/there_s_big_money_in_mistakes

RICHMOND- Following the opening of the 2012 General Assembly Session, House Speaker William J. Howell announced Wednesday that Delegate Tony O. Wilt (R-Broadway) has been appointed to three committees. These committees include the Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee; the Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee; and the Counties, Cities and Towns Committee. During the 2011 General Assembly Session Delegate Wilt served on these three committees.

The Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee mainly handles matters related to agriculture, the Chesapeake Bay, conservation, hunting and fishing. The Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee hears all bills related to law enforcement, the National Guard, gun rights, and issues concerning the physical safety of citizens. The Counties, Cities and Towns Committee hears matters related to local government.

“I’m honored to once again be appointed to these three committees,” stated Wilt. “Agriculture is vital to the economy of the 26th District, and therefore I appreciate the Speaker acknowledging this fact with my re-appointment to the committee. Public safety is a core function of government, and I will make every effort to champion reasonable measures that ensure the safety of the citizens of this Commonwealth without reducing our individual liberties. It is said that local government is the government closest to the people, for this reason, I look forward to serving on the committee that handles matters that affect our localities, and thus directly influence citizens.”

Delegate Wilt represents the 26th House District, which includes the City of Harrisonburg and part of Rockingham County. He was first elected in June of 2010, and has now officially begun his first full term.

Reporter: Elizabeth Lamb

Local delegates to Virginia’s General Assembly met Saturday at the Rockingham County Administration Building to discuss everything from education to retirement in a town hall style meeting.

Delegates Tony Wilt (R)-26 and Steven Landes (R)-25, met with Rockingham County residents to hear what they have to say about Gov. Bob McDonnell’s proposed $37 million increase to the state’s budget.

“That’s exciting to me, for folks to have a venue to come out and share their thoughts and their concerns that affect them here locally,” Wilt said.

Hot topics included funding for the state’s retirement program, and how education standards should be set.

Wilt said no more bills can be proposed to the General Assembly, but he said ideas from the meeting will help him better represent his district.

“We’ll glean from what we heard here today and certainly keep those concerns in mind as we go forward, as we go to Richmond,” Wilt said.

Ramona Sanders attended the meeting and said was looking forward to meeting Wilt.

“It was very interesting, it was very knowledgeable. I’m very pleased that Delegate Wilt has a mentor like Steve Landes,” Sanders said.

Wilt said the government’s programs are far-reaching, and they all come back to how much money is available.

“The trick is going to be is that we don’t fall back into old, bad habits,” Wilt said.

“It’s been tough seeing some of the cuts now, but some of the cuts have actually been healthy, and we need to remember those things. We don’t need to fall back into bad spending habits when the economy turns around.”

McDonnell’s budget for Virginia is $85 billion; the additional $37 million would go toward economic incentives and development.

To view the video footage, please visit: http://www.whsv.com/home/headlines/Delegates_Hold_Town_Hall_Meeting_for_Valley_136889598.html

Author: PRESTON KNIGHT

Date: January 9, 2012

Publication: Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg, VA)

HARRISONBURG – Education and environmental concerns dominated most of the discussion during a town hall meeting for two local delegates Saturday afternoon in Harrisonburg.

Dels. Steve Landes, R-Weyers Cave, and Tony Wilt, R-Broadway, held the joint meeting at the Rockingham County administration building in Harrisonburg. Together, the lawmakers represent most of the county, and Wilt’s district also covers the city.

The 2012 General Assembly session convenes…

To read more, please visit: http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=13C2D97C66E77CE8&p_docnum=1

With the start of the 2012 General Assembly Session just next week, I want to gain as much input as possible from constituents on measures that may come before the body. I would encourage you to respond to my legislative survey, so that I can use the results as a tool to gauge support on the particular issues addressed in the survey.

Please click here to take the survey. The results will be published in a future email.

Joint Town Hall

Just as a reminder, on Saturday, January 7 at 1:00 pm I will be holding a joint town hall with Delegate Steve Landes to discuss the upcoming General Assembly Session. It will take place in conference room A of the Rockingham County Administration Building, located at 20 East Gay Street, Harrisonburg.

Please come join us to learn more about my legislative package and what we may expect for the upcoming General Assembly Session. It will also be a great opportunity for me to find out what priorities are important to you and what your concerns are for the upcoming Session. Please email deltwilt@house.virginig.gov if you have further questions.

Reach Out to Us in Richmond

Beginning Monday, January 9, we will begin working entirely out of our Richmond office. As always, I encourage you to reach out to us during Session with any of your thoughts regarding legislation or any other matters. We can be reached by phone at (804) 698-1026 or by email at deltwilt@house.virginia.gov.

I value personal visits from constituents while in Richmond, so if you are able to make the trip, I will try my best to meet with you in person. To better accomodate you, it would be helpful if you are able to schedule an appointment in advance. My office is located on the fifth floor of the General Assembly Building, room 526.

Although this is certainly a busy time of year for everyone because of the holidays, for many of us it also makes for a busy time because of the upcoming 2012 General Assembly Session. This year’s session will be a long session (60 days) and is set to begin on Wednesday, January 11.

Governor’s Budget

The largest issue facing the 2012 General Assembly will most certainly be the consideration of the biennial budget for Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014. Governor McDonnell unveiled his proposed budget just yesterday and in the meantime between now and Session, my fellow legislators and I will be reviewing and soliciting feedback on the proposed budget to better understand how it affects Virginia’s citizens.

While I acknowledge that there is much left to review, let me say that I do appreciate and share the Governor’s stated goal of focusing resources on core functions of government, while making necessary changes to ensure that we create a pro-growth environment that puts the Commonwealth on a sound financial path for the future. Upon my initial review, I believe there are many positive actions in this budget that work to meet those goals. Undoubtedly, there are concerns that will have to be addressed, and likely some changes that will have to be made, but I am hopeful that the end product can be something that achieves this mission. To view the full budget proposal click here, to view a summary please click here.

Town Hall

On Saturday, January 7 at 1:00 pm I will be holding a joint town hall with Delegate Steve Landes to discuss the upcoming General Assembly Session with constituents. It will take place in conference room A of the Rockingham County Administration Building, located at 20 East Gay Street, Harrisonburg. I welcome your attendance, and look forward to learning what is important to you and what concerns you may have related to state government.

Richmond Symphony Concert

I wanted to share an opportunity to attend a special concert by the Richmond Symphony at Richmond CenterStage on Wednesday, January 11 at 3:30 pm. This concert will be free of charge, but seats are limited. The occasion, on the opening day of the 2012 General Assembly Session, is to launch the State-wide celebrations to commemorate the Bicentenary of the War of 1812. I plan to attend the concert, and would welcome you and your family joining me at this event. While the event is free of charge, tickets will be required. If you would like tickets or have questions regarding the concert, please call (804) 788-1212.

Survey

Soon you will be receiving an email survey from me with questions relating to matters that the General Assembly may face this upcoming session. I would encourage you to take the time to respond to the survey, so that I can use the results as a tool to gauge my constituents support on those particular issues. The results will be published in a future email. Of course you are always welcome to reach out to my office with any thoughts or concerns you may have on any issue. Prior to January 7 you can contact my district office here in Harrisonburg at (540) 437-1450. Beginning Monday, January 9, I ask that you please contact my Richmond office at (804) 698-1026. You can also email deltwilt@house.virginia.gov.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

-Tony

By: Preston Knight

HARRISONBURG — The best lobbying one can do is to take a politician straight to the cause. As part of “Take Your Legislator to School” month, a handful of local lawmakers toured three city schools Thursday to gain a better grasp of education at work…

To read more, please visit: http://dnronline.com/members/login

It is an honor to be re-elected to represent the 26th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. I appreciate the support of everyone that came out yesterday and cast their ballot for me and I will not take their trust for granted. I uphold my commitment to represent the views and beliefs of the citizens of the 26th District in Richmond.

I will continue to stand for pro-business policies that make it easier for both small and large businesses to grow and expand, creating new jobs as a result. I also believe it is important that we work to preserve our rural identity by implementing policy that makes it easier for the agriculture community to prosper. While the General Assembly will likely still face difficult budgetary challenges this upcoming Session, both the Governor and I are committed to adequately funding education and transportation needs and meeting our obligations to the Virginia Retirement System.

Remember today is election day, so don’t forget to go VOTE! Polls will be open until 7:00 p.m. I have listed polling locations within the 26th House District below for your convenience. If you are still not sure about where to vote, please visit www.sbe.virginia.gov for further information. I appreciate your vote!

Harrisonburg Precincts

Northeast
Lucy F. Simms Center
620 Simms Ave.

East Central
Spotswood Elementary
40 Mountain View Dr.

Southeast
Stone Spring Elementary School
1575 Peach Grove Ave.

East
Smithland Elementary School
474 Linda Ln.

Northwest
Waterman Elementary School
451 Chicago Ave.

Southwest
Keister Elementary School
100 Maryland Ave.

West
Thomas Harrison Middle School
1311 West Market St.

Rockingham Precincts

Stony Run
McGaheysville Fire Dept.
65 Stover Dr.

Broadway
Broadway Fire Dept.
117 N. Central St.

Timberville
Plains District Community Center
233 McCauley Dr.

Fulks Run
Fulks Run Elementary School
11089 Brocks Gap Rd.

Bergton
Bergton Community Center
17784 Criders Rd.

Little North Mountain
John C. Myers Elementary School
290 Raider Rd.

Singers Glen
Singers Glen Community Center
9434 Singers Glen Rd.

Edom
Linville Edom Ruritan Hall
3752 Linville Edom Rd.

Dayton
Dayton Municipal Building
125 Eastview St.

Mt. Clinton
Mt. View Elementary School
2800 Rawley Pk.

Silver Lake
Woodmen of the World
3045 John Wayland Hwy.

Keezletown
Keezletown Ruritan Hall
1118 Indian Trail Rd.

Melrose
United Methodist Social Hall
696 Fellowship Rd.