The last week of the 2016 General Assembly session brought a flurry of activity on some of our most difficult bills, along with approval of a state budget. In this column, I will detail highlights in the final budget affecting our area. Next week, I will report on other important budget items. In the near […]
This week, the seventh of this session of the Virginia General Assembly, both the Senate and House of Delegates are considering the state’s two-year budget. After each house passes a budget, a joint conference committee resolves the differences. The Senate budget has good news and bad news. Good News Revenues have increased […]
As we pass the mid-point of this General Assembly session, many bills are moving.
After a 30-minute debate, the Senate approved my bill prohibiting the use of electronic textbooks in public schools without a plan to provide school broadband and digital devices to every student required to use an electronic textbook.
The fifth week of the General Assembly Session brought some long days and nights as we rushed to complete work on bills before our mid-session deadline called “Crossover.”
First the Senate passed legislation to plug a hole in the Northern Virginia 2.1% regional gas tax that is used to fund transit. This legislation was the top priority for Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford Counties. It now goes on to an uncertain future in the House of Delegates, but without the legislation, localities will be under even more pressure to raise real estate taxes if we expect to maintain the same level of transit service.
As we move towards the midpoint of the General Assembly Session called “Crossover,” we are required to finish work on all bills in our respective chambers. Things are picking up in Richmond. First, I am on track to pass about a dozen bills out of the Senate and several bills were passed by the […]
The third week of the General Assembly saw a major agreement emerge on firearm violence issues, and action on several of my bills.
Bills Moving Through
A Republican state legislator is urging Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe to delay the revocation of reciprocal agreements Virginia has with 25 states on whether to honor their concealed handgun carry permits.
Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter of Woodbridge made the request in a letter this week to McAuliffe.
Last week, the 2016 General Assembly gaveled into action and I became your State Senator for Virginia’s 36thDistrict.
New Committees
The Rules Committee assigned me to three committees. (1) The Local Government Committee considers legislation addressing land use, zoning and local government. (2) The Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee has jurisdiction over the safety net programs, prisons, alcoholic beverage regulation and childcare. (3) The General Laws and Technology Committee examines bills affecting homeowners associations, gambling, professional occupation regulation, procurement and the Freedom of Information Act. Each of these has jurisdiction over issues critical to the quality of life in our area.
Scott Surovell will replace the long-serving Virginia State Senator Toddy Puller.
Puller served in the Senate since 1999, and seven years in the House of Delegates before that. The Democrat will retire this year.
Mark Dudenhefer is going back to Richmond.
The one-time Republican Delegate for the 2nd House seat, which includes portions of Stafford County and Woodbridge in Prince William County, beat Democratic Challenger Josh King by a narrow margin of 102 votes.
