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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 EducationThere are several measures I […]
