TOSCANO GENERAL ASSEMBLY UPDATE -- February 12, 2008
Week 4
We are rapidly moving towards what is called Crossover, the day when all bills need to pass from one legislative body over to the other body for consideration. The hours are late as we attempt to consider numerous bills for passage.
The big news of this week is payday lending reform passed the House on a 92-7 vote. This bill, which I co-patroned, has bipartisan support and has been advanced by many consumer groups, may face significant difficulty in the Senate, where advocates for the industry have had much success in preventing reform. The bill caps the interest rate at 36% and reduces the number of loans an individual may take out each year.
Most of the mental health package that I have worked on in the Courts Committee has passed the House, including a measure I sponsored that will allow the opinions of treating physicians to be considered by a magistrate before he or she issues a Temporary Detention Order. These reforms will make it easier for persons in crisis to get assistance, either through commitment to an inpatient facility or through the entry of a voluntary outpatient treatment order that requires substantial follow-up and assistance of the community services boards. These were recommendations of the Hassell Commission and the Virginia Tech panel.
I am hopeful that this mental health law reform, which represents the most substantial change in this area in the last 30 years, will also be passed by the Senate. The funding piece is, of course, critical to the success of mental health reform. We can pass many bills that will help the system, but if the resources are not there to assist persons and families in crisis, our efforts will be in vain.
HB 883, my bill to grant increased flexibility to Charlottesville and builders to create more affordable housing units passed the House 99-0. My efforts to regulate the idling of school buses, energy conservation and health measures, have either passed or been referred to the Commission on Transportation Accountability so we can develop a statewide policy to bus emissions. Testimony in committee indicated that idling school buses generate large amounts of particulate matter that can have impacts on asthma and bronchitis in children. I understand that Charlottesville and Albemarle are thinking of enacting their own policies related to bus idling and hope that they will move forward even without the state legislation.
Finally, you can see the results of my constituent survey. There were more than 1,000 responses to this survey, so I have a pretty good idea of how my constituents feel about various matters. Several things emerged very clearly:
- There is strong support for a tax increase to address transportation issues. Over 80 percent of the respondents indicated that they would favor at least a 2-cent increase in the gas tax.
- A large majority favored increased funding for mental health and close follow-up/case management of anyone referred for mental health treatment.
- Over 80 percent indicated that they would purchase renewable energy even if it cost more.
- 62 percent indicated that they favored Governor Kaine's Pre-Kindergarten program proposal.
- 67 percent believe that Virginia needs to make progress on the clean-up of the Chesapeake Bay, but not at the expense of priorities like health care.
- Respondents differ on how to address the budget's shortfall, but almost 40 percent indicated that they were willing to either eliminate programs or reduce all programs proportionally.
As always, I appreciate hearing your thoughts and concerns about legislative matters. Please call the Richmond office at (804) 698-1057 or send emails to deldtoscano@house.state.va.us.
