Author Archive

The 2016 General Assembly adjourned sine die on Friday, March 11. For the second year in a row we were able to complete our work a day ahead of schedule, allowing us to save taxpayer dollars.

Before I discuss the budget and other legislative initiatives, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone that took the time to write or call about legislation and issues that were important to you. Please know that I appreciated your input as I deliberated over the various matters that we are sent to Richmond to address.

This year, the House of Delegates worked tirelessly to strengthen Virginia’s economy to help middle class families, improve our education system so all children have the opportunity to succeed, and chart a responsible fiscal course for the future.

One of the key measures that we approved to strengthen our economy was the establishment of the GO Virginia program. This is a business-led, bipartisan initiative to provide a new framework for economic and workforce development by encouraging collaboration between business leaders, the education community, local government, and state government. We also passed the necessary legislation to put a constitutional amendment for right to work on the ballot this fall. Assuming the measure is approved by the voters in November, this will add another layer of protection to keep labor unions from forcing Virginia workers to join as a condition of employment. Finally, we approved several bills that prevent local governments or state agencies from establishing job killing wage floors or prevailing wage requirements.

Improving our education system is a top priority for the House of Delegates. In addition to the over $900 million in new K-12 funding that was included in the budget conference report, we passed several initiatives to make sure every child has the opportunity to succeed. I was pleased to co-patron a measure to reform our high school graduation requirements to ensure they adequately prepare students for higher education or the workforce. We also approved several school choice initiatives that provide parents with options to obtain a great education for their child, regardless of their zip code or unique educational needs.

Budget Update
One of the most important tasks of the General Assembly is crafting the two year state budget. I am happy to report that the final budget conference report that passed both houses of the General Assembly is a responsible and structurally-balanced budget that invests in the core functions of government, while protecting precious taxpayer resources. It’s worth noting that the budget conference report does not contain any tax or fee increases.

Some highlights of the 2016-2018 budget conference report are as follows:

• A number of steps were taken to set Virginia on a responsible fiscal course – Among them is a $605 million deposit in the Rainy Day Fund, funding the annual contributions to the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) at 100% of the Board certified rate, accelerating the $190 million repayment six years ahead of schedule for the VRS contribution rate deferral that occurred during the height of the great recession (moving forward this will save $44 million per year), and eliminating the accelerated sales tax requirement for 90% of Virginia businesses.
• We are investing over $900 million in new funding for K-12, significantly more than Governor McAuliffe proposed. Our funding also gives local school divisions added flexibility and offers the state portion of a 2% salary increase in the first year of the biennium for our teachers and support staff.
• The budget provides over $114 million in new funding for higher education to hold down tuition costs for Virginia families.
• It offers strategic investments in economic development by providing over $30 million in new funding for the GO Virginia initiative, doubling our investment in the Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development fund, and additional support for broadband expansion initiatives in currently underserved rural areas. We also adopted additional oversight of our economic development programs to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.
• The budget does not include Medicaid expansion or the Medicaid provider tax that Governor McAuliffe proposed. Instead, we continue to build on our work to strengthen the healthcare safety net for our most vulnerable citizens. We made additional investments in mental health and substance abuse treatment and approved over 350 new waiver slots above the Governor’s introduced budget to serve disabled individuals in our community.
  As with all legislation that was passed by the General Assembly, the Governor has the opportunity to offer amendments to the budget. We are scheduled to return to Richmond on April 20 to consider the Governor’s amendments and vetoes.

Legislation Update
Overall, I was pleased with the outcome of my legislation this session. I had six bills and five commending and memorial resolutions that passed the General Assembly. Among the bills, one has already been signed by the Governor and the others await his consideration.

The bill that has already been signed into law is HB 945. As you may recall, this legislation extends the moratorium on city initiated annexation. While I originally offered a ten year extension, a six year extension was approved. I felt this was reasonable, and still grants localities and businesses a degree of certainty when planning infrastructure improvements and development in areas that could potentially be affected by annexation in the near future.

While extending the moratorium was the prudent and appropriate thing to do, I would still prefer to see a permanent solution that satisfies all stakeholders involved. The moratorium was never intended to be a permanent ban. The legislation calls for the Commission on Local Government, in consultation with the stakeholders, to examine this issue and propose ideas for a permanent solution to the General Assembly by December 1, 2018.

I’m pleased to report that the legislation granting our Community Colleges the ability to conduct third-party CDL skills testing passed the legislature unanimously. This is one important component in addressing the testing issues brought about by new federal mandates last year. These requirements significantly reduced the number of CDL testing sites, causing delay for testing appointments and requiring applicants to travel longer distances to test (often at a somewhat significant expense to the employer). When the demand for qualified drivers has never been higher, we have a responsibility to ensure our government is not an impediment to meeting the demand in the economy for these high paying jobs.

Finally, I would like to highlight HB 942. This is the legislation that grants school access to volunteers and leaders of youth organizations like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Once the bill reached the Senate, we were able to work with school officials to address some of their concerns with the legislation. However, I believe the final product moves the dial by ensuring improved access for these groups to reach young people who could benefit from the programs these groups offer. The legislation will be of most benefit in localities that currently grant no access to these groups, or only offer extremely limited access.

For a full list of the legislation I patroned this year, please visit the following link: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?161+mbr+H231C

Contact Me
Now that session has concluded, you can again contact my district office in Harrisonburg. Our office is located at 420 Neff Avenue, Suite 130. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1425, Harrisonburg, VA 22803. You can reach us by phone at (540) 208-0735 or by email at [email protected].

It is a privilege to represent you in the Virginia House of Delegates. I hope you will stay connected with me over the coming months. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may be of assistance to you in any way.

Tony

It’s hard to believe, but there are just two weeks left in the 2016 General Assembly session. This past week the House passed a new two-year spending plan. The budget is the most important work we do each year at the State Capitol. It sets the priorities for what services the Commonwealth will support over the course of the next two years.

With passage of the House and Senate budgets, the conferees from both bodies will work to craft a final agreement that can be sent to Governor McAuliffe. While there are some differences between the two plans, there are also many similarities. I’m confident completing our work on time should not be difficult this year.

The House produced a conservative and responsible state budget that holds the line on tax and fee increases. It reduces borrowing and prioritizes savings. We also make targeted investments in our schools, universities, economic development programs and the health safety net.

This is a structurally sound budget that deposits $605 million in the state’s rainy day fund, restoring the fund to 90% of its previous balance, saving for when there might be future economic downturns. The budget reduces what Virginia will borrow over the next few years by over $900 million compared to what Governor McAuliffe proposed. For our state employees, it offers a 3% salary increase in the first year of the biennium and makes good on our commitment to fully fund VRS contribution rates, two years ahead of schedule. In addition, it fully repays the VRS payments that were deferred during the worst of the recession. Finally, it eliminates the accelerated sales tax for 90% of businesses. This is an accounting gimmick that the General Assembly relied on during the recession, and I believe it’s prudent to phase it out.

Additional support for K-12 education has been a bi-partisan focus of crafting this budget. The House budget invests almost $70 million above and beyond the new funding the Governor proposed. It offers maximum flexibility for local school systems to meet their most urgent needs in the classroom by sending over $270 million additional lottery dollars back to school divisions, without requiring a local match.

The budget makes additional investments in higher education in order to help make college more affordable for Virginia families. $237 million is designated to hold tuition increases to three percent or less per year.

The House budget does not include Medicaid expansion. Just this week an AP story revealed the financial squeeze that expansion has placed on Kentucky’s budget. Their program faces a $611 million shortfall in the next two years. The Kentucky Health Secretary stated that the program is hemorrhaging, and she is working to identify cuts that can be made to other services in an attempt to make up for the shortfall. These outcomes that expansion states are experiencing are what my colleagues and I were concerned would occur if we chose to expand in the Commonwealth.

Instead of expanding the Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act, the House budget offers nearly $30 million additional dollars in targeted investments to strengthen our current safety net for those most in need. Among this funding is new support for substance abuse treatment and expanded services for patients with serious mental illnesses. In addition, the House budget provides for 100 additional Developmental Disability waiver slots beyond those required by the Department of Justice Settlement Agreement. This is always a strong priority, and I’m hopeful we can continue to build on this increase. These slots allow individuals to live and receive services in their community, rather than in an institution.

The budget funds strategic and targeted investments in economic development, while promoting increased accountability and oversight in coordination with our legislative priorities. New economic development funding is primarily directed to two initiatives, GO Virginia and the Virginia Research, Development and Commercialization Fund, both of which have strict accountability measures to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.

Primary Day Tuesday!

I would like to offer a friendly reminder that Tuesday (March 1) is the Virginia Presidential Primary for both the Republicans and Democrats. Since we are earlier in the primary season calendar this year, we will have a more significant influence on the outcome of the nomination. Regardless of who you support, I encourage you to exercise your right to vote. The polls will be open from 6:00am until 7:00pm. You vote at your normal polling location.

Visitors this Week

I was pleased to have several great groups of visitors this week. Tuesday was 4-H Day at the Capitol. I also enjoyed meeting with local representatives of the Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Virginia Athletic Trainers Association. Thanks to everyone that has made the trip to Richmond thus far!

Contact Me

Throughout the remainder of session you can continue to contact my office in Richmond. We can be reached by phone at (804) 698-1026. You can contact me by email at [email protected].

If you would like to send written correspondence, please send it to P.O. Box 406, Richmond, VA 23218.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your Delegate!

Tony

The 2016 General Assembly Session officially reached the halfway point this week, known as “Crossover.”  The House of Delegates is making good progress on the issues that matter most to you and your family: jobs, education, healthcare, transportation and public safety.

The House Appropriations Committee is also working to finish crafting a conservative and responsible state budget that wisely spends your taxpayer dollars while making strategic and targeted investments in the core functions of state government. The budget will be reported out of the Appropriations Committee on Sunday. I will share more information about the budget in my next update.

The highlight of the week was joining my colleague, Majority Leader Kirk Cox, for a floor presentation commending JMU Hall of Famer and five time Super Bowl champion, Charles Haley! Not only did Mr. Haley have a record breaking NFL career, he continues to act as a mentor to NFL rookies and regularly serves various charities in his community. The video of the floor presentation is directly below.

Veterans

The Commonwealth is home to approximately 800,000 veterans and 150,000 active-duty military members and their families. Virginia’s longstanding goal is to be the most veteran and military friendly state in the nation.  Since my election, I have made it a priority to sponsor and support measures that move us closer to achieving that goal. The House is leading the effort to provide our veterans with the care they deserve, access to affordable education, and good job opportunities.

Among the veterans legislation, Majority Leader Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) introduced HB477 which would establish two new veteran care centers, one in Hampton Roads and one in Northern Virginia, to help provide veterans with quality long-term healthcare.  The two new centers will also free up more space for local area veterans close to Virginia’s two existing care centers in Richmond and Roanoke.  Delegate Scott Taylor (R-Virginia Beach) introduced HB90, which would allow members of the Virginia National Guard to conceal-carry while they are on duty.  Delegate David Yancey (R-Newport News), introduced HB405 which will extend the temporary occupational license period for spouses of military service members to help them find meaningful employment.

Delegate Taylor is also carrying HB450 that requires seven comprehensive community colleges with the highest veteran enrollment in the Commonwealth to employ at least one full-time veterans’ advisor to provide comprehensive and intensive enrollment and advising services to current and prospective students who are veterans.  It also requires the establishment of a veterans’ resource center on campus to provide access to federal and state veterans’ resources.  This legislation will be a big help to new veterans and service members leaving the military.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Delegate Chris Stolle’s HB825 also helps transitioning military personnel. It establishes a pilot program in which military medical personnel may practice and perform certain delegated acts that constitute the practice of medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician or podiatrist.

The aforementioned bills are among the 27 bills that have passed the House that support veterans, our military and their families.

I also want to note a bill that will not advance this year, but one that I chief co-patroned with my good friend, Delegate Scott Lingamfelter. HB 96, a bill that was continued to the 2017 Session in the Courts Committee would have authorized the creation of special court dockets to address specific focus areas. This legislation is modeled after our drug court statute, and would allow courts to create special dockets just for veterans or active military members whose transgressions were linked to PTSD or other mental health disorders that arose directly from their military service.

These specialized dockets would allow the court to take a more active role in connecting veterans with the appropriate specialized services and veteran mentors, so that they could receive the necessary treatment. These intensive efforts to address the root cause of their behavior would likely produce better outcomes that would allow them to lead productive lives and avoid re-offending in the future. The veteran court model is now being utilized by a large number of states. It is showing promising results to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for veterans and their families. I’m hopeful the legislation will be taken back up next year.

COPN Reform

This past Monday the House passed HB193, introduced by Delegate John O’Bannon (R- Henrico), which would significantly reform Virginia’s outdated Certificate of Public Need laws. Reforming COPN will improve access to care by giving providers the opportunity to offer needed services in their communities. Right now, for example, if a provider wants to add new imaging equipment – like an MRI or CT scanner – they have to go through a lengthy and costly process.

Reforming COPN could also lower costs for patients. Current providers are protected by the burdensome COPN process that makes it difficult for new providers to offer competitive services. By repealing portions of the COPN law, we have the opportunity to move towards a free market type system that could encourage healthy competition and drive down costs for patients and families. Other states that have repealed or heavily reformed their COPN laws have experienced downward cost pressure. HB193 will now move to the Senate for consideration.

Legislation – Status Update

At the halfway point, seven of the ten bills I carried this session passed the House and have now moved to the Senate for consideration. We were able to reach a non-legislative solution on one of the three measures that did not advance, making legislation unnecessary. The seven bills that have advanced to the Senate are as follows:

• HB 938 – Authorizes Community Colleges to conduct their own third party CDL skills testing to ease wait times and provide closer locations for testing
• HB 939 – Permits the use of auxiliary lighting on motorcycles to improve their visibility at night
• HB 940 – Raises the cap a mechanic is able to recover on a mechanics’ lien to permit them to recover more of their costs of completing the work
• HB 942 – Grants school access to leaders of youth groups, such as the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts, for the purpose of encouraging student involvement
• HB 944 – Limits the Harrisonburg mulch ordinance to only apply to new structures, consistent with standard practice for changes to the Statewide Fire Prevention Code
• HB 945 – Extends the current moratorium on annexation by six years and creates a study with the intent to develop and recommend a permanent solution
• HB 1250 – Consolidates the Stormwater and Erosion and Sediment Control programs to simplify the regulatory process for landowners and localities

Survey Results

The survey results are in. Thanks to everyone that took the time to complete the survey and offer their feedback. The survey is one tool I use to gauge my constituents thoughts on certain issues. As always, you can also call and email to express your position on legislation or issues that are important to you. To view the survey results, please click here.

Visitors this Week

Given the expectation of longer floor sessions on crossover week, very few groups made the trip to Richmond. However, I still had the opportunity to meet with a large contingent of local realtors from the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Association of Realtors. I also met with Eric Paulson, the Executive Secretary of the Virginia Dairymen’s Association. The Association is actually headquartered in Bridgewater. Finally, Chad had the opportunity to speak with Jim Gibson of the Virginia Government Employees Association.

Contact Me

I encourage you to keep in touch with me throughout the duration of session. I value the feedback you provide on a continual basis as it helps me do my job of representing you better. While in Richmond, my office can be reached by phone at (804) 698-1026. You can continue to contact me by email at [email protected].

If you would like to send written correspondence, please send it to P.O. Box 406, Richmond, VA 23218.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your Delegate!

Tony

Tuesday will mark the halfway point of the 2016 General Assembly Session, otherwise known as “crossover.” Crossover is the day when each chamber must finish work on its own legislation and then may only consider legislation from the other body. The State Capitol is as busy as it has been all year with late night committee meetings and longer floor sessions as we work to complete work before crossover. I want to update you on several initiatives the General Assembly addressed this past week.

GO Virginia
Tuesday the House of Delegates passed, with major bi-partisan support, HB 834 and HB 846, the legislative centerpieces of the Virginia Initiative for Growth and Opportunity or “GO Virginia” act. GO Virginia is a business-led, bipartisan initiative to provide a new framework for strengthening Virginia’s economy by encouraging collaboration between business leaders, the education community, local government, and state government.

The two bills create an entirely voluntary program that allows localities to identify their workforce needs, apply for grants that must meet an objective scoring criteria to be awarded and then meet performance criteria to keep the money. The program gets the people who know how to create jobs (business leaders) involved in the decision making process. Our goal is to always find innovative ways to foster private-sector growth, strengthen our workforce, promote local collaboration, and maximize our economic development resources. This concept will help grow and strengthen the economy in all areas of the Commonwealth so our families and businesses can thrive.

Virginia’s business leaders, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) and over 80 other organizations support GO Virginia. To read more, visit: http://virginiahouse.gop/2016/02/09/house-of-delegates-passes-go-virginia-legislation-with-major-bipartisan-support/

Charter School Amendment
On Friday, the House of Delegates passed legislation authorizing a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that could allow for the creation of more charter schools in Virginia. The amendment, introduced by Delegate Rob Bell (R-Albemarle), would allow the State Board of Education to establish public charter schools within the framework and limitations established by the General Assembly. All children in Virginia deserve access to a quality education, regardless of their zip code or how much money their parents make. Public charter schools encourage parental involvement, and can be especially equipped to meet the unique needs of all different types of children. They are granted more autonomy than traditional public schools, but still must meet certain accountability requirements.

We are fortunate to have great schools in our area and the Commonwealth has good schools overall. Unfortunately, however, there are areas that consistently under perform and do not adequately prepare students for higher education or the workforce. For these school systems, charter schools could be a great tool to improve outcomes for students.

Agreement to Restore & Expand Reciprocity Passes
You may recall a few weeks ago an agreement was reached between Governor McAuliffe and the General Assembly to restore and expand concealed carry reciprocity. The agreement also requires State Police to be available for voluntary background checks at gun shows, and prohibits individuals under permanent domestic violence protective orders from possessing a firearm under state law. This past week the legislation initiating this agreement passed the House of Delegates. The National Rifle Association (NRA) and Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) both strongly support this legislative package.

When the Attorney General announced his action in December to remove reciprocity with 25 states, it was extremely concerning. I’m glad to see resolution on this issue that secures the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and takes reasonable steps to make our communities safer.

HB 1250 – Greater Efficiency and Reduced Red Tape for Water Quality Regulations
In order to improve the water quality in our tributaries and the Chesapeake Bay, the Commonwealth has regulations in place that regulate the water quantity and water quality that flow from larger construction projects and properties, as well as regulations requiring certain best management practices to reduce erosion. Some of these regulations derive from EPA requirements, but they are administered by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and localities. Currently these programs are administered through two separate permitting requirements, Stormwater, and Erosion and Sediment Control. This means that property owners wishing to develop a property must go through two separate permitting processes and pay two separate fees.

This session I am carrying legislation, HB 1250, that merges these two separate programs into one. Rather than having to go through the red tape of two permitting processes, permit applicants will be able to go through a streamlined process. It will also be easier for localities to administer. This legislation is supported by the business community, as well as local governments.

Visitors this Week
We didn’t have as many visitors last week, but we still had several groups and individuals that stopped by. Thursday I was pleased to speak with social work students from JMU, EMU and CNU. Local supporters of the ARC of Virginia met with me to discuss their legislative agenda this session. I’m pleased to support their effort to adopt more ID/DD waivers that will expand services to more individuals and reduce the waiting list. On Wednesday school officials had their lobby day in Richmond. I was able to speak briefly with Harrisonburg School Board member, Tom Domonoske.

Contact Me
I encourage you to keep in touch with me throughout the duration of session. I value the feedback you provide on a continual basis as it helps me do my job of representing you better. While in Richmond, my office can be reached by phone at (804) 698-1026. You can continue to contact me by email at [email protected].

If you would like to send written correspondence, please send it to P.O. Box 406, Richmond, VA 23218.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your Delegate!

Tony

Legislation Expanding CDL Testing Options Passes House

RICHMOND-On Tuesday the House of Delegates passed legislation that will make it easier for students and prospective employers to complete the last step before they can be licensed as a commercial truck driver. HB 938, patroned by Delegate Tony Wilt (R-Broadway), permits Virginia public Community Colleges that operate their own training program to also conduct the skills test that is necessary to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).

New federal policy changes in July of 2015 drastically reduced the number of DMV CDL skills testing sites from 30 to 9. Under the new federal mandate, many of the previous sites no longer qualified because the site was too small. As a consequence, this has meant that individuals seeking to take the skills test must travel farther distances to test, and in many cases, it may be a longer delay before they can get a testing appointment.

“At a time when trucking companies are experiencing driver shortages and the demand for commercial truck drivers has never been higher, we should make every reasonable effort to get new drivers employed as quickly as possible,” said Delegate Wilt. “Allowing community colleges like Blue Ridge to conduct skills testing is one solution to help address this issue.”

Locally, individuals must now travel to the Middletown Scales in Stephen City to take the test. For employers and the community college this can be a costly prospect since they must make the trip with their own trucks and be accompanied by a licensed CDL driver. If HB 938 is signed into law, community colleges like Blue Ridge Community College would be able to test students that go through a training program at their school.

Beyond this legislation, the DMV has agreed to seek out other testing locations for DMV staff to conduct testing where no nearby DMV site currently exists.

Delegate Wilt represents the 26th House District, which encompasses Harrisonburg and part of Rockingham County. He was first elected to the House of Delegates in June of 2010.

Wilt Legislation Assisting Youth Organization Access to Schools Passes House

RICHMOND-On Thursday the House of Delegates passed legislation patroned by Delegate Tony Wilt (R-Broadway) to help several youth organizations gain access to public schools. The bill, HB942, expresses that school boards shall provide reasonable access to youth organizations that have a federal charter as a patriotic and national organization for the purpose of encouraging student involvement. The groups that have achieved this designation include – Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Boy Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, FFA, Girl Scouts, Little League Baseball, and the Naval Sea Cadet Corps.

“Youth organizations like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have a significant positive influence on the lives of young people,” Delegate Wilt stated. “This legislation will ensure their adult volunteers and leaders can have a presence in our schools, which is the obvious place to reach students and encourage involvement. These youth organizations serve a critical role in our community by building positive character attributes in young people, promoting service to others, and skill development.”

Research studies consistently show the benefit of these youth programs. When youth become involved in organizations that encourage community service, they are less likely to engage in risky behaviors. A recent report, The Role of Risk, Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth, shows that youth with adult mentors are 55% more likely to enroll in college, 78% more likely to volunteer regularly, and 130% more likely to hold leadership positions in the community.

Following bipartisan support in the House, the bill will now move to the Senate for consideration. North Carolina passed similar legislation in 2015 and other state legislatures are taking up the issue this year as well.

Delegate Wilt represents the 26th House District, which encompasses Harrisonburg and part of Rockingham County. He was first elected to the House of Delegates in June of 2010.

With the holidays behind us, the 2016 General Assembly Session is just around the corner. It is scheduled to commence at noon on Wednesday, January 13. I want to remind you about two opportunities to share your perspective on various issues impacting our Commonwealth. Your input is a critical component in shaping my positions on legislative matters that will likely come before us this session.

Joint Town Hall
On Tuesday, January 5 I will be hosting a joint town hall with Delegate Steve Landes. The meeting will be held at the Bridgewater Town Hall Building located on Mason Street in Bridgewater. It will begin at 6:30 p.m. While we will offer some initial comments, we want to spend a large portion of the time hearing from you. If you need any additional information about this event, please feel free to contact my office.

Legislative Survey
My 2016 legislative survey is now available online. It covers a number of issues that will likely be taken up this session. While I do my best to cover a broad range of topics, there is simply no way to incorporate every issue into a survey that can be conveniently completed in a few minutes. Therefore, you are welcome to email additional comments in response to the questions, or you can share your thoughts on any issue that may not be covered in the survey. If you feel you need more background information to gain a better understanding of a particular question, please contact my office. You can access the online survey by clicking here. If you would like a printed copy, please let us know and we will be glad to mail that to you upon request.

Contact Me
Starting Monday, January 11, we will be working from our Richmond office and will remain there through the end of the regular 2016 Session. I welcome and encourage you to reach out to my office if you would like to voice your opinion on legislation. If you are experiencing a problem with a state agency you can continue to contact us during session. We will do what we can to assist you.

I love visiting with constituents during session, and while I will try to make every effort to meet with you in person, I cannot guarantee this will always be the case. However, if you are able to schedule an appointment ahead of time, usually we can accommodate. If you are visiting Richmond, my office is located in room 526 of the General Assembly Building.

While in Richmond, my office can be reached by phone at (804) 698-1026. You can continue to contact me by email at [email protected]

Thank you in advance for your input!

With the unofficial end of summer behind us and the official beginning of autumn just a few days away, I hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather and start of the fall festival and sports season.

The last few weeks have been particularly busy for me with a number of facility tours, along with several forums and local meetings that I participated in. I want to thank everyone that came out to our annual Valley Business Summit in August. We had a great crowd and I hope it was a good opportunity for business owners and entrepreneurs to network and gain some valuable information.

Last week I joined my colleagues on the Chesapeake Subcommittee for a two day retreat that took us to several locations in the Northern Neck region and Gloucester Point. It was a great hands-on opportunity to gain more information and insight on the issues that the Chesapeake Subcommittee considers.

Request a Sign

I’m sure everyone has seen campaign signs popping up around the community. While I have some signs out, I would like to get more placed before Election Day. If you would like a sign for your home or business, please let us know and we will be sure to make arrangements to get it to you. We have smaller yard signs, as well as larger 4×4 signs that we would like to place in more prominent locations.

House Page Program

Applications are currently being accepted until 5:00 pm on October 19 for the House Page Program. Any 13 or 14 year old student (as of Jan. 13, 2016) can apply online to serve as a page for the 2016 General Assembly Session. It is a highly regarded program that immerses students in the legislative process. Participants gain knowledge and experience that is difficult to obtain in a classroom setting.

All applicants are required to obtain a letter of endorsement from their Delegate. Before submitting a letter of support it is my requirement to meet with the applicant. If you are interested in becoming a House Page, please contact my office at (540) 208-0735 or [email protected] to set up an appointment. Click here to access the online application.

Food Drive – Thanks for Your Support!

I want to thank everyone that contributed to our food drive. We were able to fill up the back of my truck and donated 381 pounds of food to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank! A special thanks to Phyllis Rinaca and Anne Nielsen who both made large donations.

On September 1st I delivered the food to the Verona office and enjoyed spending a few hours with several of my General Assembly colleagues sorting food and learning more about how the food bank operates.

Important November Election Deadlines

• Deadline to register to vote: October 13
• Deadline to apply for absentee ballot by mail: October 27
• Last day to vote in peron absentee: October 31

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day. I enjoyed seeing many of you at the Harrisonburg parade on Saturday. We had a large group of volunteers that walked the parade, thanks to everyone that came out! In the coming months, I look forward to seeing you at the various fairs, lawn parties and other community events throughout the district.

Donate To Our Food Drive!

On September 1st I will join my colleagues at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank for Elected Officials Volunteer Day. Since September is Hunger Awareness Month, I thought it would be great if we could show up to the food bank that morning with a truck load of food to help those in need in our community. So we have decided to hold a food drive throughout the remainder of July and August. Our goal is to fill up the back of my pickup truck with non-perishable food items. To do this, I will need your help!

Please drop off non-perishable items at my office anytime during normal business hours between now and Monday, August 31. My legislative office is located at 420 Neff Avenue, Suite 130, Harrisonburg. For a list of the most needed items, please click here.

In addition to my office, we will also have a donation box available during the Rockingham County Fair at the Republican booth. Please feel free to visit the Republican booth and drop off your items during fair week (August 17-22).

Thanks in advance for your help in reaching our goal! As you know, there are many folks in our own community that are faced with hunger on a regular basis, many of them children. This is one small thing we can do to assist the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank in addressing this problem.

New Laws To Consider

As many of you may already be aware, the majority of the laws that were passed in the 2015 General Assembly Session went into effect on July 1, 2015. Some of these law changes may affect you.

Each year, the Department of Legislative Services compiles a list of legislation that may affect Virginia citizens. While this is by no means a comprehensive list, I encourage you to take a look at it, and share it with your friends.

This publication, titled In Due Course, can be found online here.

Save the Date

Please save the date for the third annual Valley Business Summit at Blue Ridge Community College. This year’s event will be held on Wednesday, August 26. Registration will begin around 7:30am and the event should conclude by noon.

The event is FREE of charge and open to any business owner/manager or aspiring entrepreneur. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about what resources may be available to assist in starting or growing their business, and they will actually be able to connect with officials from various agencies and organizations that can help them pursue these resources. More details will be forthcoming soon, but be sure to mark your calendar.

The King v. Burwell ruling issued Thursday should be extremely concerning to everyone who values the rule of law over the wants or desires of individuals. This is the most prominent principal on which our nation was founded to protect us from tyranny and an abusive government. In Justice Scalia’s dissenting opinion he rightfully stated, “The Court forgets that ours is a government of laws and not of men. That means we are governed by the terms of our laws, not by the unenacted will of our lawmakers.”

The fact is the plain language written in the Affordable Care Act stated that only those that were receiving coverage through a state run exchange could receive subsidies. Certainly had the Supreme Court ruled differently Congress would have needed to act to offer some type of reasonable alternative to the individuals impacted. During the 2015 Session, House Republicans passed proactive legislation that would have put our laws in a posture to allow those currently receiving subsidies to gain less expensive insurance coverage that they could afford. The measure passed the legislature but was ultimately vetoed by the Governor.

Every year the General Assembly passes laws where the patron or supporters may have intended for it to work one way, but the language of the legislation as passed and signed by the Governor requires that it actually be applied differently than the legislature may have intended. All of my colleagues would agree that this is something we should try to avoid; hence why our founders had the foresight to develop a legislative process that involves numerous hurdles that can be cumbersome and hard to overcome at times. However, even with this process in place mistakes happen, we are only human. When this occurs do we rely on the courts or the agency administering the new policy to make assumptions about what we may have meant? No, we go back the next year and try to change the law to more closely align with our intentions.

When our court system and leaders think it is acceptable to interpret laws based on what we want them to be or what we think they should have been, rather than what they are, it creates a slippery slope. If the court or an executive can essentially change the law without the legislature taking the action, it negates the need for the legislative body. In turn, once you don’t need the legislature, you really don’t need the judicial system either. That natural progression ensures that you are well on the way to a dictatorship or an oligarchy. To be absolutely clear, I’m not suggesting we have reached that point, but decisions like this could certainly lay the first block of the foundation.

Regardless of your party affiliation or whether or not you support the Affordable Care Act, I hope you consider the potential implications of this ruling beyond the merits of the policy being considered. I pray that we aren’t able look back 50 years from now and pinpoint this ruling as the turning point in our representative democracy.

I am also certainly disheartened by the Supreme Court’s decision in the same sex marriage case, Obergefell v. Hodges. I still believe that marriage should be a union between one man and one woman.

Unfortunately the Supreme Court has made their decision, and as a nation governed by the rule of law we must respect their authority and comply with the law.

Now the battle must turn towards protecting religious liberties. We have already seen numerous challenges to those who do not wish to abandon the principals of their faith to facilitate a union that they believe their faith calls them to oppose. Religious leaders should not be forced to marry same sex individuals, nor should a baker be required to make a cake for a same sex wedding. I intend to vehemently oppose any effort to require individuals to abandon their faith in order to avoid prosecution or financial ruin.