Author Archive

As you may have read, the Governor signed the budget bill this week. This is the first time since 1998 that the Governor signed the budget bill without proposing any amendments or vetoes. The money committees and budget conferees from both chambers are to be commended for their hard work in putting together a budget that nearly everyone was happy to support.

This budget calls for $1 billion less in general fund spending compared to last year’s budget. It eliminates over $11 million in fees and $33 million in debt that was originally proposed by the Governor. Additionally, the budget does not include Medicaid expansion, but it does provide some additional assistance for those individuals in the most need. Finally, we were able to provide the resources for a pay raise for our state employees and other state supported local employees, including the state portion of a pay increase for our teachers.

Governor Vetoes Bridgewater Precinct Bill

Governor McAuliffe has vetoed HB 1699, a bill that I carried this session correcting the split precinct in Bridgewater. I am extremely disappointed in the Governor’s decision to veto this legislation. This bill came at the request of Rockingham County and had the full support of all local stakeholders. It would have been beneficial for both voters and taxpayers.

House Bill 1699 was a modest request that would impact only 22 voters in Rockingham County. It was a common sense measure that would have removed a source of potential confusion and error among voters and poll workers, while eliminating the additional expense that the Rockingham County registrar’s office must incur.

Instead of assisting our locality, Governor McAuliffe decided to play politics with this legislation. It was by no means an overhaul of district lines (as the Governor would like you to believe); it simply made a slight technical adjustment to ensure all individuals currently within the Town of Bridgewater would have been able to vote for the same representatives. While it will be an uphill challenge in the State Senate, I hope we can override the Governor’s veto.

Though he vetoed HB 1699, I am pleased to report that he has signed HB 1700, HB 1701 and HB 2314 into law. To my knowledge, he has not yet taken action on my bill strengthening our parental notice requirements for student surveys (HB 1698).

Sunshine, Warm Weather… Potholes???

Spring is finally here, bringing with it warm weather, outdoor activities, and the potential for rough roads. As you may know, spring is also the start of “pothole season.” Because we have had a very wet winter with heavy snow and rain, you may notice a lot of potholes in the roads this spring.

If you see a pothole you may report the problem to VDOT by calling 1-800-FOR-ROAD (1-800-367-7623). VDOT will investigate each report and will schedule repairs as soon as possible. As always, you can also contact my office and we would be glad to reach out to VDOT on your behalf.

Save the Dates!

On Friday, May 8 I will be holding my 4th Annual Sporting Clays Shoot at the Flying Rabbit in Mt. Crawford. You don’t need to be a pro, just come out and have a good time! As we have done in the past, we will serve lunch following the shoot and offer prizes for all levels of shooter. The shoot will begin at 11:30 AM.

Also, you can mark your calendar for the evening of Wednesday, June 17. My good friends, Doug and Gayle Driver, have graciously agreed to host a reception at their home in Broadway. I have already confirmed that Senator Obenshain plans to attend, and other special guests will be announced at a later date.

We have reached the end of the 2015 General Assembly session. We are scheduled to adjourn Sine die tomorrow, February 28, and we expect to do so on time if not sooner.

This session I believe both parties are to be commended for striking a bipartisan tone and getting the job done. We have worked to provide our school systems more flexibility to educate our children, adopted efforts to make our campuses and communities safer, and continued to only advance policies that foster an environment for job creation and business growth.

Yesterday, both chambers passed the budget conference report. Completing work on the budget early is certainly a rarity, but due to the cooperation between the Republican led House and Senate we were able to accomplish this task. This is in stark contrast to the way things are done in Washington.

This was a budget that I was pleased to support. Since the House and Senate budget were relatively similar to begin with, most of what the House had adopted remained in the final conference report.

While I don’t want to rehash what we already discussed, I do want to provide a few additional updates that are worth noting.

First and foremost, the budget remains a conservative and structurally sound budget. It pre-pays $129.5 million for the 2017 rainy-day fund deposit, restoring the balance to roughly $429 million. The budget does not raise taxes on hardworking citizens, nor does it raise fees as originally proposed by the Governor. The budget did, however, retain the additional compensation for our state employees, providing a 2% pay raise. Additional funding was also included to continue to address compression issues with our salary structure to ensure new hires are not making more than veteran employees with the same job.

This budget is also good for local governments. It restores the $30 million in funding cuts adopted by the supplemental budget to address the shortfall. It also offers a 2% pay raise for state-supported local employees, as well as the state portion of a 1.5% pay raise for our teachers. This is the second raise offered for our teachers in the last three years. As mentioned previously, the budget deposits $193 million into the teacher retirement fund to ensure solvency and save our localities over $30 million in anticipated costs.

Finally, this budget offers additional support for our most vulnerable citizens, especially in the area of mental health. This includes funding for targeted services to roughly 22,000 seriously mentally-ill patients, including a prescription drug benefit. New support is also provided for children’s psychiatry and crisis services as well as six new drop-off centers for crisis intervention services. In addition, the budget provides a total of $9 million for housing and homelessness, with a portion of this funding targeted specifically for rapid rehousing efforts for our veterans.

Now that the budget is complete, it will be sent to the Governor for his consideration. We will return to Richmond in April to address any amendments the Governor may offer to the budget.

My Legislation
I was pleased to have five bills pass this session that I chief-patroned, along with 19 bills I co-patroned. Among the bills I carried, HB 1698, HB 1699, HB 1700, HB 1701 and HB 2314 have all received final approval in the General Assembly and will be sent to Governor McAuliffe to sign into law. To view the list of the legislation I co-patroned, please click here.

Survey Results
Thanks to everyone that participated in my legislative survey this year! The General Assembly addressed many of the issues on which I had requested your input. I certainly considered your thoughts when casting my vote. To view the survey results online, please click here.

A Special Thank You
I just wanted to take a moment to thank our intern this session, Micah Smith. Micah is a James Madison University student that made the trip to Richmond every week to help out in our office. He was a great worker that I know has a bright future ahead. He contributed significantly to the work of our office, and helped to ensure all business was handled in a prompt and professional manner.

Visitors
Even though we are finishing up in Richmond, I still had a good many visitors stop by my office since my last update. Lisa Hensley and Melinda See came to discuss animal related legislation that they felt passionately about. A large contingent of JMU students came to the Capitol last Wednesday. This included member of the Student Government Association, as well as students in Dr. Lili Peaslee’s Public Policy Senior Seminar Course and former Delegate (Professor) Pete Giesen’s Virginia Politics class. That night it was great to join the entire group at the JMU Alumni Dinner. It was certainly a group of intelligent and motivated students. I also met with EMU Social Work students last week to discuss various legislation that they had an interest in.

Yesterday, in between floor sessions, I had the privilege to attend a swearing in ceremony at the Capitol for a class of Conservation Police Officers. Among the class was a local officer, Justin Chambers. I commend Justin for his commitment to serve the Commonwealth!

Since our schedule is so unpredictable in the final days of session, unfortunately I missed personally meeting with several folks. However, Chad was able to speak with a large group of Rockingham 4-H’ers and our Extension Agent, Dara Booher. He also met with Tim Jibson on behalf of the State Employees Association.

Thanks to everyone that came to Richmond this year!

I hope you and your family made it safely through the winter weather last evening. I encourage you to remain vigilant while driving, given the low temperatures expected throughout the week. The frigid temperatures will create prime conditions for black ice and slick roads.

Despite the snow, we are continuing on with our necessary business as we quickly approach the end of session. Last week was crossover, the point at which only Senate bills can be considered in the House, and House bills can only be heard in the Senate. The full membership of each chamber also took up their respective budget bill this past Thursday. I want to take a moment to discuss the budget that passed out of the House.

A Conservative Budget

Virginia families make tough choices to balance their budgets each year. They have the right to expect the same of their state government, and I believe the House budget proposal does just that.

The budget we passed on Thursday is conservative, responsible, and, as constitutionally required, balanced. General fund spending is down $1.1 billion from just last year. We set aside $99.5 million for the rainy day fund to guard against future tax increases, eliminated $42.5 million in debt and $10.2 million in fees that the Governor included in his original budget proposal. In addition, the budget dials back the Governor’s original proposal to broaden the accelerated sales tax program. As I have said before, this program is nothing more than an accounting gimmick, and I’m glad this budget sought to eliminate this burden on more businesses in the Commonwealth.

At the same time, we are using the resources from a modest increase in revenue to make targeted investments in K-12, provide our state employees and state supported local employees with a modest pay increase, and strengthen our safety net for those in the most need.

It’s worth noting that I also supported budget related legislation this session to prevent state agencies from spending beyond their means with IOUs that haven’t been approved by the General Assembly. We have a responsibility to make sure that your tax dollars are spent wisely, and the House of Delegates this year once again has served as check on runaway government spending.

Education Budget Highlights

The House budget includes $55 million in state funding for a 1.5 percent teacher pay raise, as well as $1.1 million in state funding to support teacher, principal and school board members’ professional development. In addition, the budget directs $190 million to the VRS teacher retirement account. While helping to reduce the unfunded liability in the account, this will also help reduce local school divisions share of the VRS costs.

Virginia has some of the top colleges and universities in the country, but costs have been increasing and too many Virginia students find themselves on waitlists or unable to attend our best schools. We worked to address both of those issues in the budget by targeting funds to open up new enrollment slots and providing additional funding to make it more affordable to transfer from Community College to a four year institution. These provisions, combined with other legislative efforts, such as the legislation to cap student athletic fees, can hopefully work to make a college degree more affordable and attainable for Virginia students.

Ethics

I’m in Richmond right now to serve you, my constituents, and represent your interests in the general assembly. It’s a responsibility that I take seriously. Lawmakers are not entitled to the public trust, it must be earned.

Over the last two years, that trust has been shaken in Virginia. That’s why I supported additional reforms that will continue to strengthen our ethics laws. The most significant change includes a $100 cap on gifts. In addition, the General Assembly has adopted provisions to bolster Virginia’s independent ethics advisory panel. Last year, the House passed legislation that also prohibits the governor from accepting campaign contributions from companies knowingly seeking grants from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund. Unfortunately, the Governor vetoed that legislation. The House has included it again in this year’s ethics reform package, because the public deserves confidence that their tax dollars are being spent on core government functions, not political considerations.

Visitors
Last week I had the privilege to meet with Janita McNemar with the Shenandoah Initiative for Adult Education. I also had a great visit with a large group of our local realtors. Joyce Krech, representing the Small Business Development Center in Harrisonburg, stopped by to discuss several exciting new initiatives that they will be working on in the coming year. It was great to see several local cub scouts that made the trip to Richmond to learn more about the legislative process. Finally, while I was in session, Chad was able to speak with Josh Huffman. Josh made the trip with Americans for Prosperity.

Though it seems like we just began, last week marked the midpoint of the 2015 Session. Tomorrow is Crossover, meaning that after tomorrow the House can only consider Senate Bills and the Senate can only consider House bills. We are now less than three weeks away from adjournment of the 2015 Regular Session.

Healthcare

Yesterday afternoon the House Appropriations Committee released their finalized budget proposal. While I will highlight other budget provisions next week after the passage by the full House, I want to take a moment to focus on provisions in the budget that will help extend targeted healthcare safety net services to needy families. These budget provisions will provide additional treatment services to the seriously mentally ill, nearly double funding for Virginia’s free clinics, and build on past investments in community health services.

Last year the House of Delegates overwhelmingly rejected Medicaid Expansion. The House Budget does not include Medicaid expansion and does not fund Governor McAuliffe’s “Healthy Virginia” entitlement program. It will, however, strengthen the safety net for those Virginians who need it the most by increasing access to healthcare without creating a new government program.

My Legislation

Tomorrow final action in the House will be taken on several of the bills I am pursuing this session. Assuming they are all approved on the final vote on the House floor, seven bills will advance to the Senate. Of the measures I have discussed previously, HB 1698, HB 1701, HB 2029, HB 2314 and HB 2315 will move on.

In addition, I have two other measures that will be considered by the Senate that I have yet to discuss.

Bridgewater Split Precinct (HB 1699)

This bill corrects a split precinct in the Town of Bridgewater that currently impacts only about 22 voters. Split precincts can cause unnecessary confusion for poll workers and additional expense for localities and local taxpayers. This is simply a good government measure that seeks to eliminate this unnecessary House District split precinct. Delegate Landes, the other legislator impacted by this legislation, fully supports the bill and has signed on as a co-patron.

Lights on Motorcycles (HB 1700)

I had hoped to pass a bill that was broader in scope, but that was ultimately not the desire of the Transportation Committee where the bill was heard. HB 1700 as originally proposed would have allowed motorcyclists to utilize auxiliary lighting on their bikes. Currently, State Police does not permit the use of such lighting, even though nearly all of our neighboring states allow it. Motorcyclists like to utilize auxiliary lighting to improve the look of their bike, but it also serves the dual purpose of improving the visibility of a motorcycle, especially from the side profile.

While this language was ultimately stricken from the legislation, the bill still removes a strange provision in current code that applies a five second time limit on how long a modulating motorcycle brake light can modulate when applied by the operator. I’m not sure of the original intent for the time limit, but as far as I can tell it serves no practical purpose.

Visitors
While I was busy with committee meetings most of the week, I still had a few visitors from home. I enjoyed meeting briefly with our County Administrator, Joe Paxton, our Deputy County Administrator, Stephen King, and one of our Board of Supervisor members, Bill Kyger. On Friday, Supervisor Kyger was nice enough to speak in support of my legislation to correct the split precinct in Bridgewater. In addition, several of our local State Police Officers made the trip to Richmond, as well as Jen Blosser representing Crossroads to Brain Injury Recovery in Harrisonburg. Finally, Chad had the opportunity to meet with Jill McGlaughlin, a parent advocating legislation that would implement training requirements to help teachers identify students who may have dyslexia.

Last week brought some good news with regard to our budget and revenue situation in the Commonwealth. Revenues are up approximately 6.8% year-to-date against the 3.1% revenue forecast. Assuming this trend remains, we will have additional funds beyond what was expected heading into fiscal year 2016.

This will allow us to eliminate proposed fee increases, protect our AAA bond rating by paying cash for capital projects, and provide modest pay raises for state employees, constitutional officer employees, and teachers. In addition, like the supplemental budget adopted in November of 2014, we will be able to protect funding for k-12 education and eliminate any further cuts to higher education.

While we have a long way to go in the budget process, it appears there is overall agreement with the Senate on our budget priorities. If this cooperation remains, it is my strong hope that we should be able to easily finish our budget work on time this session.

Budget Transparency
This past week Speaker Howell announced several steps the House will take to make the budget process more transparent for both citizens and legislators. While I would argue our current process is very efficient, we have to be careful not to concede transparency for the sake of efficiency.

The House will now wait 48 hours after the final budget conference report is posted online before taking a vote. This will allow time for the public to view the budget proposal and reach out to their legislators with comments and concerns. In addition, members will be provided a comprehensive list of all appropriations to non-state agencies, any items not included in the budgets as originally passed by each chamber, and any items that are similar to legislation that failed in either chamber.

These are a few modest, but important, steps that will help to ensure that both legislators and citizens have the time and information to properly consider the budget proposal. It is my hope that we can build upon these initiatives in the coming years.

Legislation
Like the past two weeks, I want to take an opportunity to highlight a few of the measures I am pursuing this session.

Concealed Handgun Permit for Firearm Purchase (HB 2029)

This legislation allows an individual who holds a valid concealed handgun permit to purchase a firearm without undergoing an unnecessary and duplicative background check.

In addition, the measure requires that a National Instant Criminal Check be performed when an individual applies for a Concealed Handgun Permit. This is the same check performed when an individual purchases a firearm, and that is why it’s necessary to add this check to the Concealed Handgun Permit background check process. This legislation is a top priority for pro-Second Amendment groups such as the NRA and VCDL.

Bondsmen License Suspension (HB2313)
As you might recall, a few years ago I successfully carried a measure on behalf of the bail bond industry that aimed to eliminate some of the bad actors in that industry. I have another bill this year that is an industry self-policing bill.

HB 2314 requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to suspend the license of any bondsmen who is arrested on a felony charge, pending the outcome of his or her case. Right now DCJS may suspend their license, but they are not required to do so. In Virginia we have bondsmen who were arrested for serious felony charges, but they are still allowed to post bond for others charged with a crime. The primary purpose of a bondsmen is to help ensure that the individual securing bond does not skip town and fail to appear in court. If the bondsmen’s future is rather uncertain due to the fact that they may be incarcerated in the near future themselves, it is probably not a good idea for them to be posting bond for others. If their charges are dropped or they win their case, their license would be restored. The bill passed subcommittee last week and will be in full committee this week.

Legislative Survey – Last Chance!
I will close out my legislative survey at the end of the week. If you have not already taken my survey, please click here to do so. Results will be listed in future updates.

Visitors
Last week I had the pleasure to meet with members of the Shenandoah Valley Electric Coop. I also had the privilege of meeting with various business and industry constituent representatives. These visitors included Neal Menefee with Rockingham Group, Frank Tamberrino representing the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, a group of ladies representing the Dental Hygienists Association, several of our local Farm Bureau members, and several employees of our local Miller Coors plant.

Last week also saw numerous visitors representing interests associated with K-12 and higher education. President Alger and Charlie King stopped in for a visit to discuss issues important to JMU. Our school superintendents and several board members made the trip to Richmond to highlight their priorities. I also had a nice discussion with students advocating the preservation of the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG). Chad was able to speak with a group of students advocating for polices that can work to prevent and reduce campus sexual assault.

The Family Foundation had a lobby day on Tuesday, and it was great to see several familiar faces representing interests that seek to promote family values. While unfortunately I was tied up, Chad was also able to meet with Valley representatives of the Hospitality and Travel Association to discuss various tourism initiatives and legislation that is a priority for their industry. Finally, I enjoyed speaking with the Treasurer’s and Commissioner’s of the Revenue for both Harrisonburg and Rockingham.

Contact Me
I welcome you to reach out to my office if you would like to share your thoughts on any matter before the General Assembly.

In Richmond we can be reached by phone at (804) 698-1026. If you are visiting Richmond, my office is located in room 526 of the General Assembly Building. You can continue to email [email protected].

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent you in Richmond!

Tony

Friday marked the end of the first full week of session. I believe everyone agrees that it was one of the busiest in recent memory! While legislation was slow to make it to the floor for consideration, there was no shortage of bills to take up in committee.

Focus on Education
There are several measures I fully support that will make improvements to our education system, both higher ed. and K-12.

As you know, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to save and pay for college. Virginia students are now borrowing more than $1 billion every year to pay for school. In his State of the Union Address last week, President Obama outlined a tax scheme that includes targeting 529 college savings accounts for taxation. This would make it even more difficult for parents and students to save. Despite this threat at the federal level, I joined my colleagues in supporting a bi-partisan measure that will work to make college more affordable by capping expensive athletic fees and making it easier for small schools to cut wasteful spending.

The House will also take up a final vote this week on two measures that provide some much needed flexibility for our school systems. I co-patroned a bill which will allow the Department of Education to review the accreditation status of public schools either on an annual basis, every three years, or every five years, as opposed to the current annual requirement for all schools. In a nutshell, this will alleviate unnecessary paperwork and administrative burden for many of our schools. I will also be voting for a measure that will permit the SOLs to incorporate multiple subject areas into one test. This authorizing legislation can hopefully serve as a way to continue our efforts to reduce the total number of assessments that children are required to take.

These are just a few of the bills that House Republicans are pursuing this session that work to make improvements to our education system and provide greater opportunities for all students across the Commonwealth. I hope to highlight others in the coming weeks.

Legislation
Last week I took the opportunity to discuss a few of my bills and I would like to highlight a few additional measure this week.

Scenic Rivers Program (HB 2028)
Virginia has a program that allows the General Assembly to designate various segments of rivers and other waterways as a Scenic River. The idea is to protect and preserve these segments and to prevent actions that might alter the scenic quality or the flow of the waterway. While certainly a noble goal, my concern with this program and other similar programs is the potential risks for adverse impact on property owners attempting to use their land as they see fit (within the bounds of local zoning requirements). In addition, I have concerns about the ability of a Scenic River designation to prohibit or significantly limit the ability of a government entity or public utility to proceed with a project that most all would agree is for the benefit of the public. For example, if a small vocal minority wanted to prohibit VDOT construction of a bridge over a river designated as scenic, I can easily envision a scenario where the designation would provide the necessary leverage to do so quite successfully.

My legislation simply seeks to clarify current code by reiterating that the program can in no way restrict riparian land or water uses along or in the designated section of the river. The Department of Conservation and Recreation is the agency that administers the program, and they are responsible for making recommendations to local governing bodies concerning the rivers designated as scenic. The bill makes it clear that such recommendations can not include measures that would act to restrict land use. This bill adds a layer of protection for property owners against any future threat from an overzealous government agency or official.

Dismissal, Expired Registration and Inspection (HB 2315)

In the hectic pace of life, it’s sometimes easy to forget to renew your vehicle registration or get your car inspected on time. We all have been there. Unfortunately, we are often reminded of our tardiness when we receive a ticket from law enforcement. While I certainly don’t condone or endorse failing to meet these deadlines, I think we can agree that generally such a violation is often the result of an honest mistake and oversight. Therefore, I have introduced a bill that makes it a bit easier on the citizen receiving such a traffic infraction, and will hopefully act to free up some docket time for our judges so they can focus on more pressing matters.

I introduced HB 2315 to allows the court to permit an individual who receives a ticket for an expired vehicle registration or dead inspection to present proof to the court that the issue has been corrected prior to their scheduled court appearance. By doing so, the citizen will not be required to pay the fine and will only likely be responsible for court costs. The bill also requires law enforcement to notify the citizen of this option when they issue the citation, provided it’s a permissible option in that particular jurisdiction.

Currently, individuals can choose to either pay the fine and court costs in advance, or they can plan to take the time to appear in court in hopes that the judge will drop the fine…which they often do. However, when this is the case, it seems an unnecessary waste of time for all involved. The citizen often has to take valuable time away from work or family to go to court, and given our general shortage of judges across the Commonwealth, it seems less than productive for them to use valuable court time to hear these cases.

The bill is permissive, meaning that it does not require every General District Court in the Commonwealth to allow this, it simply gives them the ability to offer this option. If this bill becomes law, it’s my hope that it will make life a bit easier on individuals who simply made an oversight on one of the many details of life we encounter every day.

Legislative Survey
If you have not had an opportunity to complete my online legislative survey, there is still time to do so. You can access the online survey by clicking here. I value your input, and this survey is one of the tools I use to try to gauge where my constituents stand on a number of issues.

Visitors
Like I said earlier, last week was a busy one. Given that last Monday was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, alot of folks utilize the holiday to make the trip to Richmond and advocate on issues of importance to them. On Monday I met with constituents with the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), a pro-Second Amendment group that advocates for the rights of gun owners. I met with the Virginia Young Democrats to discuss legislation of common interest to all Virginians. Last week, I also had the pleasure to meet with representatives of the Virginia Environmental Coalition, local correctional officers, Gerald Lehman who is the Director of Food Service with Rockingham County Public Schools, representatives of the Collins Center in Harrisonburg, local supporters of the Hemp legislation, Baker Garber on behalf of our local free clinic, and Dr. Downey with a group of Blue Ridge Community College Students. Finally, I also had the privilege to meet with a large group of folks representing the Valley Associates for Independent Living (VAIL). It so happens that they came on the same day that my NAP credit legislation (that I touched on last week) was heard in the Finance Subcommittee. Since they receive an allocation of NAP credits and fully support my bill, I was pleased to have VAIL’s Director, Gayl Brunk, speak in favor of the measure. It reported unanimously out of the subcommittee as well as the full committee. It will be up for debate on the floor Wednesday.

Contact Me
I welcome you to reach out to my office if you would like to share your thoughts on any matter before the General Assembly.

In Richmond we can be reached by phone at (804) 698-1026. If you are visiting Richmond, my office is located in room 526 of the General Assembly Building. You can continue to email [email protected].

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent you in Richmond!

Tony

The 2015 General Assembly Session opened on Wednesday, January 14 and got off to a brisk start. Delegates old and new are working hard to get a lot done in a short, 46 day session. I look forward to a productive session working for you in Richmond this year.

Speaker Bill Howell opened up the first day of session by welcoming our five new members and going over some of the top priorities for this session, including continuing with reforms of our K-12 education system, making higher education more affordable, holding the assembly to the highest ethical standards, and adopting a responsible budget that funds the core functions of government without raising taxes. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance these priorities.

On Wednesday evening, Governor Terry McAuliffe delivered the annual State of the Commonwealth address to the Joint Assembly of the House of Delegates and Senate. I do believe there are areas where we can work with the Governor, such as economic development and ethics reform. However, it was disappointing to see him spend a significant amount of time Wednesday discussing issues that he has to know will not find favor in the legislature. I am hopeful that we can move past the bitter tone of last session, and work to find common ground on the issues that matter most to Virginians.

Legislation
This session I will personally be moving forward with about ten bills. I still have a few that I am finalizing that will be submitted and assigned numbers this week. In the coming days and weeks, I will also be signing on to legislation that I believe will work to make our higher education system more affordable, improve K-12 education, and foster an environment that promotes economic development and job creation. I have highlighted a few of my bills below this week, and will discuss others in the weeks ahead. To view my legislation and other legislation being considered during the 2015 General Assembly Session, please visit lis.virginia.gov.

School Survey (HB 1698)
During the course of a child’s school career, there may likely be a handful of times that they are asked to participate in a student survey that asks questions touching on some sensitive information (sexual activity, drug use, mental illness). While the groups that administer these surveys have the noble goal of trying to collect accurate data to assess and understand the largest problems that impact young people in a particular community, I strongly believe it is the right and responsibility of every parent and guardian to at least be aware their child is being asked information that many would consider to be sensitive in nature. We do have a law in Virginia that requires some form of parental notice, and gives parents the ability to opt their child out of the survey. However, HB 1698 will better define how this notice should be given and what information should be conveyed to parents.

The bill requires notification to parents via mailed notice, as well as through some form of electronic notice (email, text alert). In addition, it requires that the organization administering the survey provide a bit more information than is currently required about the nature of the survey and how the information will be used. Finally, it gives parents the ability to review the survey questions via a method that is convenient for them.

NAP Credit Choice (HB 1701)
Virginia has a tax credit program whereby businesses and individuals can donate to certain non-profits and receive a 65% tax credit for this donation.While a benefit to the donor because it can help reduce their tax liability, it is very helpful to non-profits that provide assistance and services to lower income individuals in the community. It acts as a way to boost their contributions, which allows them to serve more folks in need.

However, there are two concerns with the current program that this bill seeks to resolve. First, there is significant debate among the non-profit sector as to whether it is most effective to offer a 65% credit, or if it would be preferable to offer a lower percentage in order to receive contributions from more donors. It’s my understanding that it is split fairly evenly among non-profit groups as to the number of groups that support 65% credits and those that would prefer to lower the credit percentage. There have been unsuccessful legislative attempts in the past to lower the percentage (there are a few bills this year as well). My bill gives the non-profit the choice to offer whatever credit percentage (at or below 65%) that they feel will best suit their needs and leverage the most private dollars. To be clear, the bill does not in any way call for more taxpayer funding for this program, it simply allows for some flexibility that will hopefully help maximize its effectiveness.

Secondly, the bill gives non-profits the ability to fully utilize their allocation of tax credits. This aspect of the bill is a bit more technical in nature. Currently, if the donations a non-profit receives for the year do not match the total amount of tax credits they are permitted to allocate, then they must return the left over balance to Social Services for reallocation to another non-profit. The bill will permit a business or individual to donate to a non-profit and knowingly accept a percentage below the maximum of 65% in order for the group to fully utilize the tax credit amount permitted for the year.

The idea for this legislation actually came from a constituent. If I believe they are feasible solutions, I am always happy to pursue measures that derive from members of our community that will have a positive impact in some way.

Legislative Survey
If you have not had an opportunity to complete my online legislative survey, there is still time to do so. You can access the online survey by clicking here. I value your input, and this survey is one of the tools I use to try to gauge where my constituents stand on a number of issues.

Visitors
Even though session just got started this week, I still had a few visitors from home. Colleen Whiteford and several students made the trip to Richmond on behalf of the Virginia Physical Therapy Association. Thursday was Bankers’ Day at the Capitol, and I enjoyed visiting with Greg Godsey of Union First Market Bank and Josh Hale and Jonah Pence of Farmers and Merchants Bank to discuss issues that could have an impact on the banking industry. Also on Thursday, I attended the annual Republican Women’s Luncheon. Several of the ladies from the Harrisonburg/Rockingham group made the trip. I appreciate the kind words of support and encouragement from the ladies, as well as all their efforts on behalf of the Republican Party and our candidates. Finally, Chad had the opportunity on Friday to meet with Dr. Caitlin Batchelor to briefly discuss issues of importance to the Virginia Dental Association. Dr. Batchelor started her own practice in Harrisonburg in 2013.

Contact Me
I welcome you to reach out to my office if you would like to share your thoughts on any matter before the General Assembly.
Now that we are in Richmond we can be reached by phone at (804) 698-1026. If you are visiting Richmond, my office is located in room 526 of the General Assembly Building. You can continue to email [email protected].

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent you in Richmond!

Tony

As we prepare for the upcoming General Assembly Session, I wanted to share two opportunities for you to convey your thoughts on the various issues impacting our Commonwealth. As your Delegate, the best way for me to represent you is by hearing from you! Your input is a critical componenet in shaping my position on various legislation that I will be asked to consider in the upcoming session.

Joint Town Hall
On Tuesday, January 6, I will be holding a joint town hall with Delegate Steve Landes. The meeting will be held at the Rockingham County Administration Building, 20 East Gay Street, Harrisonburg. It will begin at 6:30 p.m. and you will want to enter the building through entrance A. While we will briefly discuss the budget and some of the other major issues we expect the General Assembly to address in the upcoming session, we want to spend a large portion of the time taking your questions and comments. If you need any additional information about this event, please feel free to call my office at (540) 208-0735 or email [email protected].

Legislative Survey
Another valuable tool that I utilize to gain your feedback is my annual legislative survey. 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, I have provided a comments section where you can provide additional feedback. If you feel you need more background information to gain a better understanding of any given question, please contact my office and we will do our best to provide that for you. You can access the online survey by clicking here.

Join Delegate Wilt for a call night on Tuesday, October 28 from 6:30 until 9:00 at the Harrisonburg Victory Office, located at 182 Neff Avenue, Harrisonburg. There will be pizza and door prizes provided! Come out and support our candidates in this final week before Election Day!

Election Day will be here before we know it and the key race in Virginia this election season is certainly heating up! Ed Gillespie is quickly gaining momentum and favor among voters in the final days leading up until the election. Mark Warner has had a difficult past few weeks and even his allies won’t let him run from his record.

President Obama came out just this week and said that although he may not be actively campaigning with Democratic Senate candidates, you can be sure that they all fully support his agenda. They say that past performance is the best predictor of future results. Given that Mark Warner has voted with the President 97% of the time, we can be certain the President’s statement applies to Senator Warner.

While Ed Gillespie is running on a strong positive message of support for policies that will create economic growth, he will need our help to get him across the finish long. It’s not too late to get involved with the campaign by going door to door, volunteering at our local headquarters or giving your time on Election Day.

I want to use this opportunity to provide you with some election related information that might be useful as you prepare to cast your vote. In addition, I also have a request that I hope you will consider to support a project at one of our local schools.

Absentee Voting
If you are going to be away on Election Day, it is not too late to vote absentee. You can vote in person absentee at your local registrar’s office during normal business hours. In addition, for the convenience of voters the registrar’s office will be open on Saturday, October 25 and Saturday, November 1 from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm for in person absentee voting. You can also still vote absentee by mail, though you must act quickly. Tuesday, October 28, 2014 is the last day in which an absentee ballot can be mailed. If you have specific questions on voting absentee, either by mail or in person, I would encourage you to contact your registrar’s office. I have listed their contact information below.

For more information on absentee voting, please click here
Rockingham County Registrar: (540) 564-3055
Harrisonburg Registrar: (540) 432-7707

New Voter ID Requirements

It is important to note that effective July 1, 2014, a photo ID is now required for voting in Virginia. Voters must present one of the following acceptable forms of identification:

*Valid Virginia Driver’s License

*DMV-issued photo identification card *Other government-issued photo identification card

*Valid United States Passport *Valid college or university student photo identification card (issuer must be an institution of higher education located in Virginia)

*Valid Employee photo identification card

If you do not have an acceptable form of identification you can get a valid ID free of charge from your voter registration office.

For more information on the new photo ID requirement in Virginia, please click here.

Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot

As you may or ay not be aware, in addition to voting for our Senator and Congressman, all Virginians will also have the opportunity to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment.

The question on the ballot will be:

Shall Section 6-A of Article X (Taxation and Finance) of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to exempt from taxation the real property of the surviving spouse of any member of the armed forces of the United States who was killed in action, where the surviving spouse occupies the real property as his or her principal place of residence and has not remarried?

The proposed amendment would authorize the General Assembly to exempt from taxation the real property of any surviving spouse of a member of the armed forces of the United States who was killed in action, as determined by the U.S. Department of Defense. The exemption from taxation would cease if the surviving spouse remarries. The exemption would apply regardless of whether the spouse was killed in action prior to the effective date of this amendment but would apply only to those real property taxes to be paid on or after the effective date of legislation passed by the General Assembly. The exemption from taxation would apply to the surviving spouse’s principal place of residence, even if he or she moves to a new principal place of residence. The exemption would not require the surviving spouse to have been residing in the Commonwealth at the time his or her spouse was killed in action.

Legislation exercising the authority granted to the General Assembly in the proposed amendment was passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor McAuliffe on April 7, 2014, but will become effective only upon approval by the voters of the proposed amendment.

As you may remember, in 2010 Virginians voted to amend the constitution to allow a property tax exemption to any veteran who has been determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to have a one hundred percent service-connected permanent and total disability. The amendment we will vote on this year would allow the General Assembly to extend that same property tax exemption to the surviving spouses of a veteran that was killed in action.

When I vote on November 4, I will be voting “yes” on this proposed amendment. I hope that you will review the information above and give the proposed amendment your full consideration. For more information on the amendment, including the complete language of the amendment, click here.

Help Turner Ashby Secure a $100,000 Grant!
As you might have read in the DNR recently, a grant proposal submitted by TA PE teacher Cindy Ferek has been selected as one of only three finalists for the East Coast to receive a $100,000 grant from Farmers Insurance to create a mile long paved trail around the school property! This paved trail would allow special needs students with physical disabilities to gain access to parts of the grounds that they might not be able to access otherwise. It would also be utilized as an innovative driver education instruction course. In addition, this trail would be open to the public at large.

Whichever proposal has the most votes from the public by November 30 will be selected as the recipient. Help Mrs. Ferek and TA by going to thankamillionteachers.com and voting for her proposal. You can vote every 24 hours and all you need to enter is a valid email address!