Lawmaker discusses congestion bill
By: David Sherfinski
July 8, 2010
Virginia Del. Jim LeMunyon, R-Fairfax, spoke Thursday on a bill that would rate transportation projects based on their ability to reduce congestion and allow the public to review the results.
LeMunyon discussed the bill at a meeting of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring in Tysons Corner.
The bill was introduced during the 2010 General Assembly session and referred to the commission by the House Transportation Committee.
It would require that all significant proposed Northern Virginia transportation projects, including bus and rail projects, be rated to determine which ones provide the “biggest bang for the buck” in terms of reducing congestion. The ratings would be made using computer simulation methods used in transportation planning.
The bill also requires that the results be made public, which would allow citizens to review potential projects themselves.
“In some cases, significant amounts of public money may have been spent for transportation projects that do not provide reasonable congestion relief for the region,” LeMunyon said in prepared remarks. “This cannot continue if we expect to solve the region’s transportation problems.”
Contact: Chuck Cunningham, Media Coordinator
ChuckC@visi.net, 703-307-9049
DELEGATE JAMES M. LeMUNYON ADDRESSES AMERICAN LEGION BOYS STATE
LYNCHBURG – James M. LeMunyon, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Chantilly, this morning addressed select high school students attending the 68th session of American Legion Boys State of Virginia being held this week at Liberty University in Lynchburg.
Delegate Jim LeMunyon (R-67), participating for his first time as an instructor in the Boys State program, spoke on “Virginia Government – Origins to Today.” He described the history and legislative process of the Virginia General Assembly including how a bill becomes law. LeMunyon also discussed his duties and challenges as a state delegate along with various current policy and political issues facing state government in Virginia. He answered several questions from the Boys State citizens.
The 2010 session of American Legion Boys State of Virginia opened yesterday with 762 delegates in attendance. Outstanding rising seniors from high schools – public, private and home schooled — across Virginia have been chosen to participate in this annual educational program.
Boys State, sponsored by the American Legion in each state, is designed to instruct select high school students about state and local government. Delegates to this intensive week-long session will hear addresses from various state and local officials including the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, a cabinet secretary, five members of the General Assembly, a state prosecutor, a judge and three local officials.
All delegates are assigned to one of sixteen Boys State cities named after famous military leaders, like Eisenhower, MacArthur, and Patton. Each of the Boys State citizens are also assigned to either of the fictitious political parties — Federalist or Nationalist — for purposes of nominating and electing candidates for mayor of each city, the Boys State legislature, attorney general, lieutenant governor, and governor along with various other state and local offices. Citizens elected to the various positions actually serve in those offices during the week and take on their respective duties and responsibilities. Students attending Boys State learn citizenship and civic leadership through participation.
The first Boys State in the nation was held in 1935 in Illinois. The American Legion Department of Virginia sponsored its first Boys State program in 1939.
Principal speakers for the remainder of this week include: Lieutenant Governor William T. Bolling (9:30 am on Wednesday, June 23); Governor Robert F. McDonnell (11:30 am on Thursday, June 24); and Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli (9:30 am on Friday, June 25).
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April 1, 2010
By JAMES M. LEMUNYON
OPINION: A Constitutional Convention Can Rein in Washington
There’s no need to fear crazy amendments since the results would have to be approved by 38 states.
The U.S. Congress is in a state of serious disrepair and cannot fix itself. It has reached this point over the course of many years—in fact over many decades. Regardless of the party in power, Congress has demonstrated a growing inability to effectively address the major issues of our time, including soaring federal debt and the extension of federal authority to states and localities.
The only effective remedy is constitutional reform to rein in congressional excesses and abuses. But Congress can’t be expected to propose amendments to fix itself, as it has an inherent conflict of interest.
The remedy is in Article V of the Constitution, which permits a convention to be called for the purpose of proposing constitutional amendments. Any proposed amendment then would have to be ratified by both houses of 38 state legislatures (three-fourths of the states). This entails 76 separate votes in the affirmative by two houses of the 38 state legislatures. (Nebraska, with its unicameral legislature, would be an exception.)
Interest in calling a first-ever Article V convention is growing at the state level. A petition for such a convention passed the Florida Senate last month, to propose amendments requiring a balanced budget and to restrain the growth of the national government. If approved by the House, Florida would be the 20th state with an active call to do so. In the Virginia House of Delegates, I introduced a resolution (H.J. 183) calling for a constitutional convention to restrain the national government as well. Requests by two-thirds or 34 states are required for a convention to be called.
Yet while there is growing support for a constitutional convention, this support is not universal, even among Americans who advocate limited government and adherence to the original intent of the Constitution. In fact, several states that passed petitions for a convention during the 1980s have rescinded them in recent years.
The principle problem for critics is that it may not be possible to limit the agenda of a constitutional convention. In addition to an amendment relating to a balanced federal budget, for example, a “runaway convention” driven by political fringe groups might propose revising or deleting existing provisions of the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. This issue was raised when my resolution was considered in committee in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Legal experts differ regarding the extent to which the scope of a convention could be restricted. Nevertheless, no one should fear a runaway convention, since the outcome of such a convention has no standing unless approved by 38 states. Or, to look at it another way, if even one chamber in 13 state legislatures refused to consider an amendment proposed by a convention, the proposed amendment would not take effect. This provides a very high threshold for amending the Constitution.
A runaway convention might be a waste of time, but nothing more. State constitutions have been written and rewritten in convention on hundreds of occasions during our nation’s history, with no “runaways” to mention.
Moreover, we should welcome the opportunity to consider multiple amendments. One example: to provide the president with a line item veto authority similar to that already in effect for governors in 43 states. This power can bridle legislative excesses such as earmarks. Another amendment might end unfunded mandates to states by the federal government. Others might include term limits for U.S. congressmen. My own resolution in Virginia calls for a convention to propose the line item veto and unfunded mandates.
Fear of a runaway convention presupposes a profound lack of confidence in state legislatures. It presumes that a majority in 76 legislative houses in 38 states would seriously consider, for example, amending or deleting the Bill of Rights. It presumes that only an elite class of Americans with Washington-based power can get it right when it comes to the Constitution. It presumes that the provisions of the Constitution are something imposed on the people, possibly against their will, rather than a limited grant of authority by the people, supported by the current generation of Americans and amendable to reflect 21st century realities.
As a practical matter, there are a sufficient number of “red” and “blue” states to block any attempt to amend the Constitution in a radical way from the left or right. During the last three presidential elections, 18 states have been blue in all three instances and 22 have been red in all three. Of the blue states, 16 have Democratic majorities in both state houses and two are split between the parties. Of the red states, 15 have Republican majorities in both Houses, plus seven additional states with either split legislatures or legislatures led by conservative Democrats in the South. Any “fringe” amendments could easily be blocked by the inaction of one legislative chamber in 13 states.
It is a mistake to dwell on hypothetical and unfounded concerns about the outcome of a runaway constitutional convention. We instead should focus on the immediate reality of a “runaway Congress” and its accumulation of debt far beyond the ability of Americans to pay.
Mr. LeMunyon, a Republican, represents portions of Fairfax and Loudoun Counties in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Copyright 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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Tuesday, March 30, 2010
James LeMunyon: Budget is balanced, but still work to be done in Richmond
The 2010 General Assembly Session produced a balanced budget for the next two years, without new taxes and with more state funding for public schools in Northern Virginia. The first result was not in doubt, as Virginia’s Constitution requires a balanced budget.
But with spending originally projected to exceed revenue by $4 billion, making structural reforms in government, holding the line on taxes and increasing funding for local schools were not certain outcomes. They required painstaking use of a budget “scalpel” and support from Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) to get the job done.
While the budget is the big story from this year’s session, important short- and long-term issues remain to be addressed when the General Assembly meets again in January 2011. These include:
-Medicaid, which is growing in enrollment by 6 percent per year. This growth will accelerate as a result of the new federal health care law. States administer Medicaid (distinct from Medicare), which provides medical assistance and other services to low-income and disabled citizens of all ages. While this program is mandated by the federal government and has a worthy purpose, Uncle Sam pays only about half the bill. The remaining amount, paid for by the state, is the most rapidly increasing item in Virginia’s budget, and competes with education and transportation dollars. Medicaid growth is a big reason why Virginia isn’t properly funding transportation maintenance and infrastructure needs.
-Micromanaging localities on issues such as the date that schools can open, barking dog laws and the height that grass is allowed to grow — which were all issues considered in this year’s session. The General Assembly needs to delegate more decision-making authority to elected officials in local governments and boards of education, and instead focus on priorities like job creation and transportation, education and health care issues.
-Thinking too hard about reducing traffic congestion, rather than solving the problem. I introduced H.B. 779 to require that transportation projects be ranked based on what will give us the biggest bang for the buck in terms of congestion reduction. This bill actually faced some opposition, and was referred to a new commission on government reform for further study. Rallying support for this bill is my top priority in the legislative “off-season.”
-More government transparency, including publishing voting records on the Internet. I introduced H.B. 778 for this purpose. The bill passed the House but was continued until next year in the Senate. In the meantime, I’m the only member of the House or Senate to publish my voting record. See www.lemunyon.com.
While these challenges remain, we should take satisfaction that Virginia’s government runs better than places like California, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. In Richmond, Republicans and Democrats have civilized relationships. Our state government is solvent, the budget is balanced and the General Assembly of citizen-legislators is in session for only a couple of months and then returns home to work in the “real world.” Maybe there are a few things the U.S. Congress can learn from Virginia.
Del. James LeMunyon (R) represents the 67th District in the Virginia House of Delegates.
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Wednesday, March 24, 2010
By Crystal Owens and Nicholas Graham, Times-Mirror Staff Writers
Loudoun legislators grade 2010 General Assembly session
Members of Virginia’s General Assembly were facing a tough session when they started deliberations in January.
The main business at hand was cutting $4 billion in services to balance the budget.
Loudoun legislators said the two-month session was filled with high and low points, but in the end Virginia’s budget fared better than expected.
“It was just one of those very hard-working and very-few-bright-spots sessions,” said Sen. Jill Vogel (R-western Loudoun).
Del. Joe May (R-western Loudoun) said he left the session with a sense of hope for the state’s economy.
“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not a locomotive,” May said.
In a series of interviews, the Times-Mirror asked the county’s state senators and delegates to list the good and the bad of the latest General Assembly session and to give the session and Gov. Bob McDonnell a letter grade.
Here’s what they had to say:
Sen. Jill Vogel
(R-western Loudoun)
Vogel, the only Republican woman serving in the state Senate, said she was especially proud of the work she did on Senate Bill 417, which says it’s illegal for anyone to impose an insurance mandate on individuals.
“It speaks to the underlying obligation that we as legislators have to uphold the Constitution,” Vogel said.
“To say we’re going to impose a one-size-fits-all mandate is not very practical. What works for Massachusetts might not work for Virginia.”
The senator said she was disappointed that more work wasn’t done on the school calender issue. She said she will continue next session to work to allow local school boards to set a local calender.
“Right now, Richmond sets that calender, which is preposterous,” she said.
She gave the General Assembly and Gov. Bob McDonnell a B-plus grade.
“[The General Assembly] finished on time,” she said. “We only went over one day. We managed to get a budget balanced in the the worst economic environment in modern history without raising taxes.”
Sen. Mark Herring
(D-eastern Loudoun)
Herring is in his second term, and is the only Democrat in the Loudoun delegation to Richmond.
Among accomplishments he lists from the 2010 session is his Virginia Innovation Investment Act, which would stimulate capital investment in emerging small-tech companies and incentivize them to locate in Virginia – not elsewhere. He is also proud of his work to update the Local Composite Index, a complex funding formula that had been unadjusted in former Gov. Tim Kaine’s outgoing 2009 state budget – costing Loudoun schools $34 million.
Incoming Gov. Bob McDonnell took action, at Herring’s behest, to adjust the LCI favorably for Loudoun schools.
Herring was disappointed that his effort to criminalize financial scams against elderly and disabled people stalled in a committee. He was also disappointed that the session didn’t address transportation issues.
As for the overall work of the 2010 General Assembly, Herring noted that lawmakers “came together to make difficult choices,” and hailed the fact that the new budget contained no tax increases. He said it was a “pretty positive” session and gave it a B-plus.
In terms of grading McDonnell, Herring could only muster an “incomplete” for Virginia’s chief executive, but he praised the governor’s efforts on jobs and economic development.
Del. Bob Marshall
(R-south-central Loudoun)
Marshall was first elected in 1991 to the House of Delegates.
He said he worked diligently to get health-care legislation passed that would protect Virginians from what he sees as a mistake in health-care reform on the national level. He’s most proud of his efforts on House Bill 10, which states that no resident of Virginia shall be required to obtain or maintain individual insurance coverage.
Marshall would like to continue work on HB 2320, which would regulate credit default swaps as a form of financial guarantee insurance.
“Credit default swaps were the financial device which enabled so much unsecured debt of residential and commercial real estate to be issued with the resultant collapse of Bear Stearns, AIG and other companies without sufficient capital reserves,” Marshall said.
The delegate refused to grade the General Assembly or McDonnell.
“That’s for the people to decide, not me” he said.
Del. Tag Greason
(R-northeastern Loudoun)
Greason is one of two freshman lawmakers representing Loudoun in Richmond.
He touted as his main accomplishment HB 1252, which allows law enforcement to access electronic records in efforts to find missing people.
As his next issue to work on, Greason called out a bill that would have provided tuition assistance for National Guard members to enter into theology studies at state universities, which is prohibited under current law.
He said he was “pleasantly surprised” at the lack of partisanship in the recent session, given that the House is Republican controlled and the Senate is controlled by Democrats.
“Largely, people worked together,” he said.
He gave the session and the governor a B-plus or A-minus grade.
McDonnell, Greason said, named a “good Cabinet” and worked well with the legislature.
Del. Joe May
(R-western Loudoun)
May is currently serving his eighth term in the House of Delegates.
He said he worked with Greason and Herring on HB669, which eliminates the requirement that a census of all school-age children living within each school division take place every three years.
Loudoun County was spending $800,000 on the census in the past, he said.
Like his colleagues, May said he wished there was time to work on the transportation funding bill that would have allowed funds raised in Northern Virginia to be used in Northern Virginia for infrastructure.
He gave the General Assembly a B-plus for its bipartisanship efforts.
“Everyone understood that this was a tough session,” May said.
McDonnell, he said, gets an A-minus for being an accessible leader.
Del. Jim LeMunyon
(R-Dulles)
LeMunyon, a freshman lawmaker, said he was proud to come out of the General Assembly session with a balanced budget.
“It was certainly the most complex bill of the session, and addressed virtually every aspect [of] state public policy,” he said.
His legislation, HB 778, to require that members’ voting records be published on the Internet, passed the House 86-13, but was “carried over” in the Virginia Senate until 2011, he said.
“There’s no good reason to make it hard for voters to find our voting records,” the delegate said.
The General Assembly, he said, gets a B grade for the tough decisions its members made in balancing the budget without new taxes. Lawmakers, he said, secured a fair share of state tax dollars for education in Northern Virginia.
McDonnell gets an A, he said.
“The governor came into office in mid-January and immediately began to work in a bipartisan way to solve the budget crisis as well as make good on his ‘jobs and opportunity’ campaign promises – most of which were approved by the General Assembly,” LeMunyon said. “He made a special point to reach out to first-term members of both parties, including me. Not bad for the first 60 days.”
Del. Tom Rust
(R-Sterling)
In the past session, Rust introduced 18 bills, and a majority passed.
He said the most important bill allowed local jurisdictions to curtail individuals from promoting goods and services on rights of way, such as intersections and medians.
Rust also touted HB 513, which cracks down on state drivers who do not have a driver’s license, and legislation that maps out a statewide program for making communities more “livable” for the elderly and disabled in the areas of mobility, services and health.
The delegate said he wished he could have seen legislation relating to Lyme disease adopted.
Rust said Loudoun is the “epicenter” of Lyme disease in the state.
He said the General Assembly and McDonnell both deserve a C-plus/B-minus.
The General Assembly, he said, ended with a “pretty good budget” considering the economic limitations.
He described the restoration of the Local Composite Index for Northern Virginia as “a huge win.”
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By Jim LeMunyon
Legislative Session’s Results
The 2010 Session of the Virginia General Assembly concluded on Sunday. I’d like to share with you a brief summary of what we accomplished in Richmond and some things that remain to be done next year. Your comments and questions are welcome, especially about topics that may not appear below.
Budget —A House-Senate consensus budget passed on Sunday that is balanced without a tax increase. Contrary to what you may have read in the newspapers, state funding for school funding for Fairfax and Loudoun Counties increased. We stood to lose $91 million for Fairfax and Loudoun County schools — but didn’t lose a penny — in fact we received more — $19.6 million more for both school systems over two years. With the support of Governor McDonnell, those of us in the Virginia House and Senate from Northern Virginia took a strong, bipartisan stand that our region must receive more tax dollars back from Richmond and we succeeded.
Education —Beyond school funding, H.B. 1390, a bill to streamline the process for applying to establish public charter schools, passed both bodies. I was happy to support this priority of Governor McDonnell’s because charter schools can address specific educational needs — ranging from helping at risk students to providing advanced science and math classes not generally available in traditional public schools. In fact, current law requires that half of all charter schools address the needs of at risk kids. By streamlining the application process, localities will be able to more readily establish charter schools when appropriate to address the needs of the school children in their community.
I cosponsored H.B. 208, a bill to eliminate unnecessary reports required by the state from local school divisions. H.B. 208 passed both bodies and is on the way to the Governor’s desk for his signature. This will eliminate more than 700 reports statewide and thus will direct more education dollars to the classroom.
Transportation —The budget includes provisions to sell more than $400 million in transportation bonds. This is just a small step in the right direction. I cosponsored H.B. 756, a bill to dedicate a significant portion of future budget surpluses to transportation. H.B. 756 passed the House, but not the Senate. While transportation funding is a top priority for our area, this is not the case in other parts of the state. More meaningful transportation legislation will only pass if delegates from Northern Virginia work with those from less populous parts of the state to reach a consensus. I hope to be instrumental in doing so. Developing a more comprehensive transportation plan for Northern Virginia is my top homework assignment between now and the January 2011 session. We need to reform how transportation dollars are spent so that we get the biggest bang for our bucks in terms of congestion reduction. I introduced H.B. 779, a bill to prioritize transportation projects in this manner and am looking forward to working to get this bill passed next year.
Jobs and the Economy —The majority of Governor McDonnell’s legislative agenda passed related to attracting new companies to Virginia. I was privileged to assist the Governor in his efforts by sponsoring H.B. 792, a bill allowing certain licensed, small business owners moving to the Commonwealth from other states to obtain temporary business licenses in Virginia, so they can being building their companies and creating jobs here immediately. This bill makes it easier for small businesses to form and grow, and I am happy to report that it passed the House and Senate unanimously.
Energy Independence —I voted for H.B. 787 to prepare Virginia for natural gas, oil, and wind energy development off the Virginia Coast as soon as federal regulations are changed to permit such development. I also voted to dedicate 80 percent of revenues that Virginia collects from this new industry to transportation improvements. Both bills passed the House and Senate and await the Governor’s signature.
Illegal Immigration —H.B. 737, a bill requiring state agencies to use the federal E-Verify program to ensure that Virginia’s state employees are legally able to work in the United States, passed both bodies. This is one constructive step Virginia is able to take while Congress considers more comprehensive immigration reform.
Good Government —The House passed my bill, H.B. 778, to require that every member’s voting record be easily retrievable by member name on the Internet. It may be hard to believe, but this bill ran into some objections in the Senate and was “carried over” for consideration during the 2011 session. Regardless, you can visit www.lemunyon.com to find my complete voting record from the 2010 session. The House and Senate also passed my bill, H.B. 1306, requiring that jurors provide identification before serving on a jury. This bill is also waiting for the Governor’s approval.
The 2010 Regular Session of the General Assembly concluded March 14. We return for one day on April 21 to consider any vetoes by the Governor, otherwise, we reconvene in January of 2011. There is a possibility that special sessions of the legislature may be called later in 2010 to address government reform and transportation.
Now that I have returned from Richmond, I am eager to meet with you and your organizations to exchange ideas and public policy suggestions for next session. If you wish, please contact me at DelJLeMunyon@house.virginia.gov or 703-264-1432 or arrange a meeting. It is an honor to occupy the 67th district’s seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. Thank you for this opportunity to serve our community and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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———- THE ROANOKE TIMES ———–
March 5, 2010
Editorial: Lawmakers’ voting records
Virginians should not have to work so hard to find out how lawmakers vote.
Don’t bother looking for an official record of your lawmakers’ yeas and nays; you won’t easily find one. The General Assembly breaks down voting records only by bill not by lawmaker.
That might sound like a minor difference, but it is a big one in a commonwealth that believes accountability and transparency guard against the corrupting influence of money in politics. If citizens wish to check up on lawmakers or compare voting records against campaign claims, they must painstakingly compile a list from the votes on each bill.
Del. Jim LeMunyon thinks it should be easier. He has sponsored House Bill 778, which would put every lawmaker’s voting record online. It passed the House on an 86-13 vote.
Residents of the Roanoke and New River valleys should know that Dels. Jim Shuler, Bill Cleaveland and Anne Crockett-Stark were among the baker’s dozen whovoted against giving their constituents easy access to their voting records.
Nevertheless, LeMunyon’s bill passed, and now it is up to the Senate to send this bill to the governor. The Senate Rules Committee, on which Roanoke’s John Edwards sits, will discuss it today.
The clerk of the Senate reportedly worries that compiling the records would be costly and difficult. One must look no further than RichmondSunlight.com to see such concerns are unfounded.
RichmondSunlight is a nonpartisan Web site that compiles General Assembly information, including the voting records for each member. If a shoestring, volunteer Web site can do it, surely legislative staff can.
Indeed, RichmondSunlight, for its ease of use and comprehensive presentation of General Assembly records, has become the go-to site for anyone who follows the action in Richmond. Yet because a private group runs it, it could disappear in a moment after a fundraising shortfall or volunteer disinterest. It’s nice to have, but Virginians need an official tally.
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Thursday, March 4, 2010
By Jim LeMunyon
Protecting Education in Northern Virginia
The Virginia House of Delegates passed a budget yesterday for fiscal years 2011 and 2012 — a balanced budget with no new taxes. I voted “yes” and want to share with you some of my reasons for doing so.
Due to the weak economy, the projected state revenue for the next two years is about $77 billion. Prior spending commitments total $81 billion, and so the challenge is to bridge the $4 billion gap.
The budget includes hundreds of provisions ranging from education, transportation, social services, retirement funds for teachers and other public employees, the arts, and many other elements. A key reason why I voted in favor of the budget is that funding for K-12 education for Fairfax and Loudoun Counties increased — while most other programs in the budget were cut. This outcome resulted from a bipartisan effort of several Northern Virginia Delegates, together with Governor McDonnell, to ensure that Northern Virginia receives a fair return on the taxes we send to Richmond.
Another positive item in the House budget is that it allows for the issuance of more than $400 million in transportation infrastructure bonds. The sale of the new bonds will be within the state’s conservative debt limits and I expect the new bonds will be issued later in 2010. The resulting funds will likely be used to secure federal matching money to pay for new roads, overpasses, and mass transit projects in Northern Virginia and other parts of the state.
A number of structural reforms are included in the budget so that future spending commitments do not exceed what Virginia’s taxpayers can afford. The most significant reform is the way in which the retirement system for state employees is funded. Currently, retirement contributions are paid solely by the government. All new state employees hired after July 1, 2010 will be required to contribute 5 percent of their income to the Virginia Retirement System. Existing employees will not be required to do so. Virginia will no longer be paying for employee pensions that it cannot afford to sustain.
Concurrently, the Virginia Senate passed its version of the 2011-2012 budget. Differences exist between the House and Senate versions. These variations will now be reconciled by a small group of House and Senate members to produce a consensus budget that can be passed by both houses and then sent to the Governor for his approval. An element I believe is lacking in the House version of the budget is assurance that no person currently receiving assistance will be denied benefits. It is my hope that the consensus version will include provisions for those currently benefiting from public assistance programs, especially for low-income families and the elderly.
Details about the House and Senate budgets may be found at: http://leg2.state.va.us/MoneyWeb.NSF/sb2010
Your questions and comments are welcome. I can be reached at 703-472-9307, www.LeMunyon.com, or DelJLeMunyon@house.virginia.gov.
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Monday, February 22, 2010
In recent years, Internet technology has provided greater government transparency and accessibility. Virginia maintains an excellent Web site that enables the public to track legislation, follow committee and floor schedules and view video of proceedings. The history of every bill introduced in Virginia since 1994, including recorded votes, also can be easily retrieved.
But one feature is lacking. While recorded votes can be retrieved by bill number, they cannot be compiled using a member’s name. To assemble a member’s voting record, a user would have to know all of the bills that received votes (many die in committee) and type in each number, one by one, to view the “yeas” and “nays.”
Such an exercise would take days, if not weeks. The public deserves an easier way. That is why we introduced House Bill 778 — to require voting records to be organized by member name as well as bill number. On Feb. 16, the House bill passed 86 to 13. No member spoke against the bill on the floor, although some noted privately that this tool might help candidates challenging incumbents by making it easier to retrieve incumbents’ voting records. That may be so, but this bill would also help citizens hold their leaders accountable.
H.B. 778 is pending before the Senate Rules Committee. A former member of the Virginia House, Thomas Jefferson, once remarked, “If the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” Virginia’s delegates have affirmed their confidence in Mr. Jefferson’s words. Now it’s up to the Senate.
The writers are, respectively, first-term Republican and Democratic members of the Virginia House of Delegates from Fairfax County.
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Thursday, February 18, 2010
By Jim LeMunyon
Next: Working on Details of State Budget
The pace of activity in the Virginia House has increased substantially as we move to complete work on House bills by Feb. 16, after which the House will consider Senate bills and the state budget.
Education funding has been in the news, and earlier this week Governor McDonnell announced his support for restoring $61 million and $34 million in state K-12 education funding to Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, respectively. The budget submitted to the General Assembly in December by former Gov. Tim Kaine related to K-12 education funding would have changed the formula for allocating K-12 education funding, causing a reduction in expected amounts.
I applaud the Governor’s decision. He responded quickly to a letter I signed along with a bipartisan group of 34 other delegates and senators from Northern Virginia just one week earlier about this issue. In the meantime, I have cosponsored an amendment to the budget, along with several other members of the Virginia House, to ensure that the funds are in the budget. While the Governor’s support is important, we can’t claim success until the budget is passed with the funds restored.
The House acted this week on an important campus safety bill. H.B. 1238 would require each of Virginia’s public colleges and universities to maintain a crisis and emergency management plan, and conduct a functional exercise annually according to the plan. I cosponsored this bill, which aims to help prevent another campus tragedy like the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. The bill is now in the Virginia Senate.
The House unanimously passed HB 1306, a bill I introduced to ensure that the identity of jurors can be ascertained before jury selection. It turns out that this is not presently required In Virginia. HB 1306 specifies that prospective jurors provide the same forms of identification as those required by voters on Election Day.
In addition, a bill I introduced, HB 779, was considered by the House Transportation Committee and referred for further consideration to the Governor’s new Commission on Government Reform. This bill would require that all transportation projects in Northern Virginia be rated based on the amount of congestion reduced per dollar spent. In this way, our limited transportation dollars can give us the biggest bang for the buck. I will work to secure the Commission’s support for this bill in 2010 and passage by the House and Senate in 2011.
Lastly, thanks for your patience in waiting to get the snow plowed this week. My staff and I were in close contact with VDOT’s snow removal teams to relay neighborhood specific issues. If you are still waiting for your street to be plowed, please contact me by email at DelJLeMunyon@house.virginia.gov or 703-264-1432.
Friday, February 12, 2010
By Jim LeMunyon
Addressing Energy Independence
As we near the midpoint of the 2010 General Assembly Session in Richmond, I want to highlight some issues related to energy, transportation, and education.
Yesterday, the House passed H.B. 787 on a 69-28 vote to support oil and natural gas exploration, development, and production 50 miles or more off Virginia’s coast. I voted “yes.” This bill is aimed at ensuring that Virginia is doing its part to achieve energy independence for the United States. If you saw the President’s State of the Union address, you will recall the issue of energy exploration was mentioned by President Obama. The federal government will need to act before exploration can begin, as certain federal restrictions apply to offshore drilling. I also favor greater use of nuclear power and renewable energy sources, although these issues were not considered by the Virginia House this week.
Related to this bill is H.B. 756, which was debated on the House floor this week and is expected to receive a final vote next week. H.B. 756 would require that at least 80 percent of any revenues and royalties paid to the Commonwealth of Virginia as a result of offshore natural gas and oil drilling be deposited in the state’s Transportation Trust Fund. In this way, offshore energy exploration can help improve our transportation system in addition to making Virginia and America more energy independent. This is a proposal that Governor McDonnell articulated during his campaign last year. I expect to vote “yes” on H.B 756.
This week I also signed a letter to Governor McDonnell, along with 35 other Northern Virginia members of the Virginia House and Senate of both parties, related to education spending in the 2011-2012 state budget. The letter addresses a formula, known as the “local composite index,” that is used to allocate K-12 education funds throughout Virginia. I mentioned this issue in my email message to constituents last week. A budget proposal made by former Governor Kaine in December would have the effect of shortchanging Fairfax and Loudoun County schools by about $100 million during the next two years. The letter asks Governor McDonnell to reverse this proposal.
Finally, I want to express my thanks to the many people who have completed the constituent questionnaire. Your responses have been very helpful. If you have not yet responded, you may still do so on-line by clicking here.
Now it’s time to head home from Richmond before the snow gets too deep!
PS: I enjoyed attending the FIRST Robotics competition at Oakton High School on Jan. 30. I met lots of smart kids and their supportive parents. I’d also like to thank the following people who have visited me recently in Richmond: the students from the Loudoun campus of NOVA, Bruce Hutchinson, Bill and Beth Latham, the Fairfax County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics, Cheryl Fulton, Carl Armstrong (Virginia Bail Bondsmen’s Association), John Schumacher (Virginia Aerospace Day), Steve Jones (State Farm Insurance), and Joanna Schuman (Podiatry Association).
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
By Julia O’Donoghue
Many Legislators Support Autism Coverage
Five state senators and eight delegates from Fairfax County signed on to support Sen. Janet Howell’s (D-32) bill that would require health insurance companies to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of Autism spectrum disorder until a child turns 10. The bill was awaiting a vote in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee Feb. 2.
Howell’s proposal does allow some health care plans, such as those that cover individuals or small groups, to sidestep the provision. State health insurance would also not have to offer the benefits until 2015.
A similar bill that covered children until an older age failed to pass after being introduced last year. Advocates said they hoped a pared down proposal, with a lower cost, would stand a better chance of passing this year.
In additional to Howell’s legislation, Del. Dave Albo (R-42) and Del. Jim LeMunyon (R-67) introduced bills to expand health insurance coverage of Autism spectrum disorder.
Albo’s bill specifies that those insurance companies who cover “early intervention” of Autism cannot deny coverage for certain services, including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, applied behavioral analysis or assistive technology.
LeMunyon’s bill would allow Virginians to purchase insurance plans from other states that cover Autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and treatment.
Neither Republican bill has passed out of a House of Delegates committee yet.
Fairfax Senators Vote against Health Care Protest
Every state senator from Fairfax County voted against a successful bill aimed at protecting Virginia residents from any future federal requirement to purchase health insurance or to pay a fine for opting out of a health care plan.
Eight Democrats joined 15 Republicans to vote in favor of the preemptive move against mandatory health insurance. Seventeen senators, including all 10 Democrats who represent Fairfax, voted against the bill.
The Virginia House of Delegates is likely to approve this bill by a larger margin than the senate and Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) has already indicated he supports such efforts.
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Thursday, February 4, 2010
By Matt Vecchio
Proposed House Bill 779 to Target Highway Congestion and Transit Prioritization
If passed, the bill, numbered 779, will require the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT) to make periodic reports on highway and public transportation projects.
The bill will urge focus on developments in the Northern Virginia highway construction areas, with the requirement to provide numbers and formulas for the reduction of congestion on major highways in the region and the amount of congestion relief expected per each dollar attributed towards the project.
“The Department of Transportation shall publicize its findings on its website and in reports to the Committees on Transportation of the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia, and update such findings at least annually, with the first report to be made no later than January 1, 2011,” the proposed bill reads.
The bill, referred to the Committee on Transportation, states two main goals:
- Reduce congestion as quickly as possible
- Maximize regional mobility in the event of a homeland security emergency in the Washington D.C. area.
The proposed bill was offered on Jan. 13, and the House Transportation Committee will likely consider the bill soon.
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General assembly news
February 3, 2010
Source: Capital News Service
The commonwealth’s General Assembly is in session. Since Jan. 27, the assembly took the following actions:
House OKs abortion clinic regulations
Abortion clinics would face mandatory licensure and strict regulation under a bill approved Jan. 26 by the Virginia House of Delegates.
After much debate, the House voted 72-25 in favor of the measure proposed by Del. Matthew J. Lohr (R-Rockingham).
House Bill 393 now moves to the Senate; it has been referred to the Senate Committee on Education and Health. Lohr said abortion clinics in Virginia are relatively unregulated and rarely inspected.
Under his proposal, an abortion clinic’s equipment would have to pass inspection by the state Board of Health every other year, and each clinic would have to possess emergency life-saving equipment such as a defibrillator.
Del. David Englin (D-Arlington) spoke against Lohrs legislation.
Abortion clinics, Englin said, already are regulated by federal and nationally recognized associations that set rigorous standards.
Virginia, he said, does not regulate clinics that provide other medical procedures.
This bill singles out and harasses one type of medical provider, Englin said.
He said he is worried that women will be discouraged from opting for abortion.
To vote for this bill is to vote against a womans right to reproductive freedom, Englin said.
HB 393 would apply to any facility other than a hospital or an ambulatory surgery center in which 25 or more first-trimester abortions are performed in any 12-month period.
The bill states the Board of Health would regulate the licensure and regulation of such clinics.
Loudoun County Dels. Robert Marshall (R-south-central Loudoun), Thomas A. Greason (R-northeastern Loudoun), Joe May (R-western Loudoun), James M. LeMunyon (R-Dulles) and Tom Rust (R-Sterling) voted in favor of HB393.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
LeMunyon creates online survey
State Del. Jim LeMunyon (D-Dulles) has created an online survey for constituents that addresses several issues being discussed during the 2010 General Assembly.
Constituents are invited to fill out the survey at www.lemunyon.com.
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Tuesday January 19, 2010
Del. Jim LeMunyon: No time to waste in Richmond
The Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Senate opened the 2010 legislative session on Jan. 13. Of the 100 members of the House, 20 are newcomers — the most in recent memory. As one of these 20 first-term members, I feel energized to make an early and meaningful contribution on issues such as transportation, education, government reform and balancing the state budget.
There are 61 Republicans, 38 Democrats and one vacancy in the House. This year, the legislative session will run for 60 days, until March 13.
House Speaker Bill Howell (R) announced committee assignments for each member on opening day, and I was assigned to three committees important to Northern Virginia: the Education Committee, the Science and Technology Committee and the Committee on Counties, Cities, and Towns. These assignments will allow me to address in detail issues related to K-12 education and Virginia’s public colleges and universities; the creation of technology-related jobs and economic opportunities; and land use and development, among others.
Transportation is a chief concern of mine and for most people in Northern Virginia. The Transportation Committee is well-represented by Northern Virginia Dels. Tom Rust (R-Dist. 86), Tim Hugo (R-Dist. 40), Barbara Comstock (R-Dist. 34) and Chairman Joe May (R-Dist. 33). Although I am not on this committee, I look forward to working with them in addressing the serious issues of traffic congestion and regional mobility that face us in Northern Virginia.
One issue that was important in the campaign last year was increasing government transparency. In particular, I made a commitment to introduce legislation to require that all votes taken in the Virginia House and Senate be posted on the General Assembly’s Web site, indexed by member name. The first bill I introduced, H.R. 778, would accomplish this. I’m delighted that a majority of first-term Republicans and Democrats have joined me in sponsoring this bill. I view this as our collective statement in favor of government reform in Richmond — and I doubt it will be the last.
The second of the 11 bills I introduced, H.B. 779, would require that the Virginia Department of Transportation rank transportation projects on the Northern Virginia “to-do list” based upon which projects will reduce congestion the most for the tax dollars spent. In other words, the bill requires that VDOT publish a list of projects that will give us the biggest bang for our transportation buck, so the highest-priority projects are funded first. This is not only good transportation policy, but is another way to provide more government transparency.
I’m glad to receive questions or requests for assistance on any matter related to government. Please contact me at DelJLeMunyon@house.virginia.gov or 703-264-1432, and your call will be forwarded to my Richmond office.
Del. Jim LeMunyon represents the 67th District, which includes Chantilly, South Riding and parts of Centreville, Fairfax, Oak Hill and Oakton.
