Our First Days
It's been an exciting first few days in the Capitol. I've been extended many courtesies by many members, especially by my officemate next door, Del. Joe May. I'm very grateful.
I've had opportunities to talk a couple of times with outgoing Gov. Mark Warner. It's clear he has enjoyed his term and will in many ways miss living in the Governor's Mansion. I wished him well.
Many of you may know that the Capitol Building is undergoing extensive renovation. So the General Assembly is meeting in the Patrick Henry Building that has been beautifully renovated to accommodate the House and Senate. Unfortunately, the limited size of the House chamber prevents us from having a public gallery. The only way to view any session is through a television in an adjacent room. The Capitol, of course, is not open to visitors until the renovation is completed later this year. You can read more about the renovation project here.
These first days are usually fairly calm, but we've already had two lively sessions, the first on the rather arcane issue of House rules. They were amended by Republicans, who still hold the majority, in such a way as to increase the power of subcommittee chairmen. Under the new rules, legislation can be killed in subcommittee, sometimes simply by only two or three members.
The second issue debated was the marriage amendment. I am opposed to amending the Constitution of the Commonwealth in a way that would limit the rightsof Virginians. And I fear that the language that will appear on the ballot this November will not clearly portray the extent to which this amendment limits the rights not only of same sex couples but of others as well.
I have pre-filed bills for this session to accomplish the following:
· Require teachers to receive a degree in a subject taught in the public schools.
· Enable schools to pay higher salaries to attract teachers in subject areas where there is a shortage, e.g., math, science and foreign languages.
· Increase the pool of potential principal and superintendent candidates and encourage teachers to pursue training in their areas of expertise without jeopardizing their chances of becoming a senior administrator.
· Direct state agencies to purchase hybrid fuel vehicles so that by 2011 all newly purchased vehicles are hybrids.
· Allow students from areas such as Loudoun, where they may be denied admission to a state college because of geographic quotas, to earn admission by performing one year of volunteer community service.
· Enable every Virginian to request electronic notification when a registered sex offender moves nearby.
· Provide a tax credit against income tax for taxpayers making electronic toll collection payments, such as Smart Tag, in an amount equal to 10% of the total amount paid annually for tolls on Virginia highways.
· Provide for the extension of a commission studying the funding, regulations and other issues related to persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease and related disorders and their caregivers.
For those of you attending Tim Kaine's inaugural ceremonies or the inaugural balls, I hope to see you there. Drive safely.
I've had opportunities to talk a couple of times with outgoing Gov. Mark Warner. It's clear he has enjoyed his term and will in many ways miss living in the Governor's Mansion. I wished him well.
Many of you may know that the Capitol Building is undergoing extensive renovation. So the General Assembly is meeting in the Patrick Henry Building that has been beautifully renovated to accommodate the House and Senate. Unfortunately, the limited size of the House chamber prevents us from having a public gallery. The only way to view any session is through a television in an adjacent room. The Capitol, of course, is not open to visitors until the renovation is completed later this year. You can read more about the renovation project here.
These first days are usually fairly calm, but we've already had two lively sessions, the first on the rather arcane issue of House rules. They were amended by Republicans, who still hold the majority, in such a way as to increase the power of subcommittee chairmen. Under the new rules, legislation can be killed in subcommittee, sometimes simply by only two or three members.
The second issue debated was the marriage amendment. I am opposed to amending the Constitution of the Commonwealth in a way that would limit the rightsof Virginians. And I fear that the language that will appear on the ballot this November will not clearly portray the extent to which this amendment limits the rights not only of same sex couples but of others as well.
I have pre-filed bills for this session to accomplish the following:
· Require teachers to receive a degree in a subject taught in the public schools.
· Enable schools to pay higher salaries to attract teachers in subject areas where there is a shortage, e.g., math, science and foreign languages.
· Increase the pool of potential principal and superintendent candidates and encourage teachers to pursue training in their areas of expertise without jeopardizing their chances of becoming a senior administrator.
· Direct state agencies to purchase hybrid fuel vehicles so that by 2011 all newly purchased vehicles are hybrids.
· Allow students from areas such as Loudoun, where they may be denied admission to a state college because of geographic quotas, to earn admission by performing one year of volunteer community service.
· Enable every Virginian to request electronic notification when a registered sex offender moves nearby.
· Provide a tax credit against income tax for taxpayers making electronic toll collection payments, such as Smart Tag, in an amount equal to 10% of the total amount paid annually for tolls on Virginia highways.
· Provide for the extension of a commission studying the funding, regulations and other issues related to persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease and related disorders and their caregivers.
For those of you attending Tim Kaine's inaugural ceremonies or the inaugural balls, I hope to see you there. Drive safely.
posted by David Poisson at 3:08 PM
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