Toscano update from the General Assembly - January 17, 2007
Last year’s General Assembly session began in the historic chambers in Williamsburg where Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and George Washington debated the rights of man and the role of government in an emerging Democratic Republic. Pretty heady stuff. This year, we went farther back in history—to Jamestown—to convene where the first House of Burgesses met, over 150 years prior to the Declaration of Independence. Sitting in the old church adjacent to the fort where the first American colonists staked their claim to the future and forever changed the course of human history, I am again struck by the uniqueness and special quality of the American experiment in representative government and am again motivated to ensure that those who place their faith in their elected leaders will not be disappointed.
The day in Jamestown included Vice President Cheney giving a surprisingly nonpartisan and thoughtful speech emphasizing our common American values, and a stirring State of the Commonwealth address by Governor Kaine that gently challenged us to work together to address health care, education, and yes, transportation.
In the first few days of the session, not much got accomplished, though rumors continued to circulate that Republican Senators and Republican Delegates were close to a “deal” on transportation. Few know exactly what that might mean, though I am personally fearful that a so-called deal will be insufficient in scope, inadequate in its support of transit, and include a number of unfunded mandates related to road maintenance, which will hurt local governments. House Republicans were successful in blocking a bill to install a nonpartisan redistricting plan for the Commonwealth, but most of the 3 day week centered on reorganizing and speculation.
We will start work in earnest this week. We will attempt to change the rules to provide more transparency and accountability in government by requiring recorded votes on bills in all subcommittees. Last year, over 600 bills were killed without any recorded votes, sometimes by as few as 3 members, after House Republicans pushed through new rules (see my posts from last session on this web site.
Several bills of mine are likely to be heard by committees this week or next. Included in these is a bill on transferable development rights (TDRs) designed to provide more power to local governments to address growth (HB 2503). My bills to improve adoption practices, HB 1687, HB 1688, and HB 1985, may also be heard this week, as well as several measures to address affordable housing (HB 2451, and a budget amendment).
My guess is that my minimum wage bill is not likely to be heard until later in the session, if at all. Since my bill was introduced, at least 3 others have been filed, but I expect the House will wait to see what happens at the federal level.
Beyond my bills, and more importantly, I am pleased to be supporting a number of Governor Kaine’s initiatives, including tax relief for low income families, increased pay for teachers, and more money for Chesapeake Bay clean up.
You can follow legislation using the General Assembly website at www.legis.state.va.us and following the link for the Legislative Information System, or we can help you track bills.
You can contact during session by phone at (804) 698-1057, by email at david@davidtoscano.com or by mail at General Assembly Building P.O. Box 406 Richmond, VA 23218.
Please pass this posting along to others who you think might be interested. As always, I appreciate your input and advice.
