Legislative Newsletter
March 7, 2008

Overtime Session on the Horizon

Last Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court issued an opinion declaring the taxing authority delegated to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority in last year's landmark transportation plan unconstitutional. In their scramble to fix last year's package, the House and Senate are divided over how to fund transportation. The Senate prefers that the General Assembly consider a statewide approach and/or raise a number of taxes, while the House prefers that the localities involved in the two regions (Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads) take such action. Moving beyond this impasse will likely require the Governor to call for a special session later this year, perhaps connected with the April 16 Reconvene/Veto session. The House appears more willing to extend the current session to  reach a resolution. Both sides have appointed the following conferees to discuss a possible solution for transportation funding:

House Team

House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith (R) Salem

Delegate Kirk Cox (R ) Colonial Heights

Delegate Sam Nixon (R) Chesterfield

Senate Team

Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw (D) Fairfax

Senate Transportation Committee Chair Yvonne Miller (D) Norfolk

Senator Roscoe Reynolds  (D) Martinsville

Budget

Unlikely to complete their work by Saturday's scheduled adjournment, budget conferees appear divided over a few significant issues: 

• Expansion of the existing early childhood education program
• Formula for calculating teacher pay and use of 2004 data as the basis for Standards of Quality funding
• Other funding priority differences on mental health waivers and drug courts and jail diversions

If this General Assembly session is extended, most legislators will return to their home districts while budget conferees and a few others maintain proforma sessions until all are needed to vote on the budget.

Here are some of the successes from this session and a list of legislation for another year. Thank you for lending your voice and for weighing in when needed. You made a difference in your community and in Virginia!

VA West successes

• Homestead Exemption - defeated
• Healthcare mandates - defeated
• Collective bargaining for governmental employees -defeated
• Higher Education bonds
• Capital bonds
• Educational Facilities Bond Act
• Reasonable increase in unemployment compensation benefits
• Wilderness Road: Virginia 's Heritage Migration Road designation
• Extension of  Film Industry sales & use exemption
• Addition of Community College Chancellor to VA Economic Development Partnership Authority
• Stabilization of Virginia Employment Commission services
• Transfer of certain Workforce functions from WIB to Community Colleges
• Study on local incentives to private businesses
• Advanced Technical diploma that includes career & technical  education criteria
• Gain sharing for technology projects through PPEFA Act
• Expansion of Virginia teaching scholarship loan program to include students going into approved programs leading to career & technical education
• Biofuels tax credit
• Extension of Sales Tax Holiday for energy and water-efficient products
• Streamlined permit process for alternative and renewable energy facilities
• Improved DEQ air, water and waste board process

• Extension of the Council for Virginia 's Future
  

Legislation for another year

• TransDominion Express Commission
• Community College Scholarship Match program
• Farm Wineries-usual & customary activities
• Arts District sales & use tax exemption
• Cap and trade system for NOx & SO2 for nonattainment areas
• Affordable health insurance system for small business employers/employees
• Small business health insurance pools
• Early Graduation Incentive grant program
• Constitutional amendment allowing governors to serve two consecutive terms
• Bipartisan redistricting commission
• Extension of Sales Tax Holiday to include computers and related equipment
• Use of texting and other wireless devices while driving

This format allows you to check bills and their status at a glance, by category. If you have questions along the way, please feel to contact Joyce Waugh at jwaugh@roanokechamber.org or 540.354.5487 or Tori Williams at twilliams@roanokechamber.org or 540.983.0700 x 229.  

Click here to contact your legislators.

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