[ACDP-Announce] Toscano Update

[Fred Hudson]

I hope you enjoy the following.   Fred



TOSCANO UPDATE FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY - JANUARY 17, 2007

Last year’s General Assembly session began in the historic chambers in
Williamsburg where Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and George Washington
debated the rights of man and the role of government in an emerging Democratic
Republic.  Pretty heady stuff.  This year, we went farther back in history—to
Jamestown—to convene where the first House of Burgesses met, over 150 years
prior to the Declaration of Independence.  Sitting in the old church adjacent
to the fort where the first American colonists staked their claim to the future
and forever changed the course of human history, I am again struck by the
uniqueness and special quality of the American experiment in representative
government and am again motivated to ensure that those who place their faith in
their elected leaders will not be disappointed.

The day in Jamestown included Vice President Cheney giving a surprisingly
nonpartisan and thoughtful speech emphasizing our common American values, and a
stirring State of the Commonwealth address by Governor Kaine that gently
challenged us to work together to address health care, education, and yes,
transportation.


In the first few days of the session, not much got accomplished, though rumors
continued to circulate that Republican Senators and Republican Delegates were
close to a “deal” on transportation. Few know exactly what that might mean,
though I am personally fearful that a so-called deal will be insufficient in
scope, inadequate in its support of transit, and include a number of unfunded
mandates related to road maintenance, which will hurt local governments.  House
Republicans were successful in blocking a bill to install a nonpartisan
redistricting plan for the Commonwealth, but most of the 3 day week centered on
reorganizing and speculation.

We will start work in earnest this week.  We will attempt to change the rules to
provide more transparency and accountability in government by requiring recorded
votes on bills in all subcommittees. Last year, over 600 bills were killed
without any recorded votes, sometimes by as few as 3 members, after House
Republicans pushed through new rules (see my posts from last session at
www.davidtoscano.com.)

Several bills of mine are likely to be heard by committees this week or next. 
Included in these is a bill on transferable development rights (TDRs) designed
to provide more power to local governments to address growth (HB 2503). My
bills to improve adoption practices, HB 1687, HB 1688, and HB 1985, may also be
heard this week, as well as several measures to address affordable housing (HB
2451, and a budget amendment).

My guess is that my minimum wage bill is not likely to be heard until later in
the session, if at all. Since my bill was introduced, at least 3 others have
been filed, but I expect the House will wait to see what happens at the federal
level.

Beyond my bills, and more importantly, I am pleased to be supporting a number of
Governor Kaine’s initiatives, including tax relief for low income families,
increased pay for teachers, and more money for Chesapeake Bay clean up.

You can follow legislation using the General Assembly website at
www.legis.state.va.us  and following the link for the Legislative Information
System, or we can help you track bills.

You can contact during session by phone at (804) 698-1057, by email at
deldtoscano at house.state.va.us or by mail at General Assembly Building P.O. Box 
406 Richmond, VA  23218.


Please pass this posting along to others who you think might be interested.  As
always, I appreciate your input and advice.


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David Toscano
P.O. Box 283
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 296-0981
www.toscano2005.com
dtoscano at toscano2005.com
This communication authorized by David Toscano 2005


 
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