[ACDP-Announce] TOSCANO UPDATE

[Fred Hudson]

I know that several of you have expressed your appreciation for receiving Del. Toscano's report. . . so here it is again.    Fred



TOSCANO REPORT FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY – July 10, 2007

July 1, 2007 brings with it a number of new measures enacted by the  
General Assembly, some of which are generating considerable  
discussion. One of these is the “abuser fee” section of the hundred  
plus page transportation bill (H.B. 3202). Under the abuser fee  
section of this bill, drivers who commit the more serious traffic  
offenses (driving on a suspended or revoked license, driving while  
intoxicated, or felony conviction for motor vehicle related offenses)  
will be hit with additional fees over and above what they would  
otherwise pay as fines. This concept was developed primarily by  
Republican lawmakers who sought a way to raise money for  
transportation without increasing taxes or other fees. The approach is  
problematic. It does not create a reliable source of revenue, the  
monies projected to be generated are relatively small in comparison to  
what is needed, the implementation of the program is likely to create  
serious administrative problems, and many citizens, especially those  
with lower income, may find it difficult to pay the higher fees,  
resulting in the loss of licenses. Many of you are aware that I voted  
against HB 3202 when it first passed the House in February. The  
Governor then amended the bill to include substantial funding for  
transit and for secondary roads, both of which would benefit our  
Charlottesville/Albemarle region, and included some provisions  
designed to address the costs associated with growth. Because of these  
changes, I voted for the bill when it returned to the House in April,  
and it became law. While the bill had serious flaws, including its  
“abuser fee” provisions,” it was the best that we could get at the time.

There are a number of other traffic-related bills that took effect on  
July 1. Children under the age of eight traveling in a car either must  
be in a child or booster seat (the old law required seats for children  
under 6), and drivers under the age of 18 are no longer permitted to  
use a cell phone for telephone calls or text messaging while driving,  
except for emergency. This law is what they call a “secondary  
offense,” meaning that police officers cannot stop drivers if they see  
them talking on a cell phone unless some other traffic or criminal  
offense is witnessed to justify the stop.

Another bill that will affect local citizens is the two year college  
transfer grant program designed to offer financial aid to students who  
want to transfer to a four year college after earning an associates  
degree from a Virginia Community College. Students will have to  
maintain a 3.0 GPA to be able to participate in the program.

Two tax relief measures took effect July 1.  One involved repeal of  
the estate tax, a measure that will benefit a small number of wealthy  
Virginians and cost the Commonwealth over $100 million per year in  
lost revenue (I voted against it).  The other removed 140,000 low  
income Virginians from the tax rolls; this would effect many more  
persons and cost the Commonwealth much less - about $13.8 million in  
2008, $27.4 million in 2009 and $24.9 million in 2010 (I voted for it).

Summer and fall are times when standing subcommittees of the General  
Assembly meet to develop policies that may find their way into  
legislation in the next session. I am involved in three subcommittees  
addressing important issues. The first is the Disability Commission,  
which was created in 1990 and is charged with overseeing initiatives  
to assist disabled citizens in the Commonwealth. The second is the  
Joint House-Senate Subcommittee on Math, Science, and Technology  
Education in the Commonwealth.  We are charged with developing  
programs that will improve our educational initiatives in this area  
and which will hopefully spur young people to get involved in these  
fields, so we can increase the number of scientists and engineers and  
improve our competitive advantage in the world. The third subcommittee  
focuses on Science and Technology in Higher Education, and will first  
meet in early August. If you have any concerns or ideas related to  
these initiatives, please feel free to contact my office or send me an  
email.

We continue to work on a number of legislative proposals for the next  
session. One involves enhancement of the Earned Income Tax Credit, a  
program designed to provide low income people with greater disposable  
income. I am especially interested in using this program to help  
families save for a house or small business.  A number of local  
citizens are actively involved with me in trying to enhance this  
program. We are also developing some initiatives on the energy front,  
including a proposal to provide incentives for homes that include  
special energy conservation features. Finally, I hope to propose some  
new initiatives to improve the foster care system in Virginia and give  
young persons a better opportunity to succeed in the future.

As always, I look forward to hearing from you with your concerns and  
ideas. Please feel free to pass this email along to others who you  
think might be interested.




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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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