33rd District News - Moving Fast!

 

• My bill, HB 1470, enacting smarter transportation spending is poised to pass the House of Delegates. This bill received strong support from the business community, House members and people who represent the current administration. If passed, this will have a permanent impact on how $100’s of millions of transportation funds are handled in Northern Virginia. Every project will be put through a rating system, and projects that waste money and fail to show congestion reduction will find their way to the chopping block. More money to spend on useful road projects will mean less time stuck in traffic for commuters, more time at home with families, and a better business environment for our region. Many thanks to my fellow Delegates Jim LeMunyon and Randy Minchew for their help with this bill.
• HJR 35 (another bill I sponsored) passed a Rules sub-committee Thursday. This bill will prompt a study to re-examine how our communications tax revenue is currently being allocated, with the eventual goal of updating the allocation methods we use to help our local and statewide communications networks flourish and grow faster. Eventually, this could mean that communications tools like high-speed internet could find their way to rural areas faster, improving the quality of life for local families and helping to open up new areas for business development. 
• Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts were reviewed in the House Education Committee this week! After powerful testimony from nationally renowned experts, the vote was an even tie – 10-10. This stops this measure for now, but this is only temporary; a huge coalition has formed in support of this commonsense legislation designed to throw a lifeline to special needs children and public schools. PCESAs save the state money, increases per-pupil funding for districts, has an almost unheard-of 100% satisfaction rating where it has been implemented, and results in higher academic performance all around. This kind of win-win proposal is a rare opportunity that doesn’t come along often, and it will be a huge benefit to Virginia when we make it happen. 
• Good news for the more than 35,000 home schooled students in Virginia; the House passed the “Tebow Bill” this week to give local school boards the ability to grant home schooled students an opportunity to participate in public school sports. I co-sponsored this legislation because I view this as a fairness issue; home schooling families pay the same taxes as everyone else and save districts tens of thousands of dollars as they pay their own way on their educational journey. Giving them a chance to play sports just makes sense.
• The Lovettsville Charter Amendment passed the House this week and is now in the Senate Committee on Local Government. Lovettsville Mayor Robert Zoldos visited with us at the Richmond office.

 

• I was pleased to support two bills on special license plates that passed the House Transportation Committee this week: Del. Tag Greason's HB 1319 "Cure Childhood Cancer" and Del. Tyler's HB 1374 for Disabled Veterans

 

 

 

Other Visitors this week:

 

Barbara and Tom Gatewood from Hamilton

 

 

Northern Virginia Community College dental hygienists

 

 

I also had the opportunity to talk about the 33^rd District, current events, and my legislative efforts this year on a cable program this week. Click on the picture below to watch!