Transportation
My top priority is the issue that unites us all in Northern Virginia—reducing traffic congestion and improving our regional mobility.
With this in mind, I introduced legislation, H.B. 779, requiring the Virginia Department of Transportation to rate planned transportation projects based on the amount of congestion reduction achieved per dollar spent on each project. In this way, the highest priority projects will be those that offer the biggest “bang for the buck.” These projects should be funded first. This bill was referred to the new Government Reform Commission for analysis prior to the 2011 General Assembly Session.
In April 2010, Governor McDonnell announced the sale of nearly $500 million in transportation bonds that will benefit projects across Virginia, including metro rail to Dulles Airport and improvements to I-66 in the Gainesville area. Urging the release of additional state bonds for transportation projects was a major priority of mine during the 2009 campaign. I voted to allow issuance of these bonds as part of the 2011-12 budget. Additional transportation bonds are anticipated to issue yearly for the next several years, within the state’s strict limitations on indebtedness.
Education
My commitment to quality public education is second to none. As the son of a career third grade teacher and husband of a regular substitute teacher, I know and appreciate the impact our teachers have on our children—and America’s future—every day. Our children learn best when we attract and retain well-paid and motivated teachers and when parents are actively involved in our schools.
On the first day of the 2010 General Assembly session, I was assigned to the Education Committee of the House of Delegates. This committee considers legislation on a range of issues related to K-12 education and Virginia’s public colleges and universities. I introduced three bills related to education in the 2010 session.
First, H.B.781 eliminated certain unnecessary and often cumbersome reports that local school divisions are required by law to complete and send to Richmond each year. Several members of the Fairfax County Board of Education called to my attention the excessive amount of staff time and thus, taxpayer dollars, which were being wasted to prepare these superfluous reports for the state. My bill was combined with a similar bill, H.B. 208, which passed the House and Senate unanimously and signed into law by Governor McDonnell. As a result, several hundred unnecessary reports from school divisions statewide have been eliminated.
During the 2010 session, I also introduced H.B. 780, which was designed to mitigate the anxiety so often associated with school boundary changes. Unlike most states, Virginia does not have an open enrollment statute. Open enrollment means that parents and students can choose the public school they wish to attend, with certain restrictions, even if they don’t live in the desired school’s boundary area. Open enrollment is permitted in some form in 46 states.
Under H.B. 780, parents and students would be able to select the school of their choice within their current school system (e.g. Fairfax County Public Schools and Loudoun County Public Schools), different from their assigned school. In smaller jurisdictions, students would be permitted to attend a school in the adjacent city or county. No “permission” from the school system would be required as it is today. The provision would not apply when the desired school is at capacity. Transportation would not be provided to any student who opts for an alternate school choice. Students desiring to attend a magnet school, such as Thomas Jefferson High School, would still be required to compete for admission. This bill was tabled in subcommittee and may be considered again in 2011.
Click here for a summary of the open enrollment policies in the 50 states assembled by the highly regarded Education Commission of the States.
I also introduced H.J. 100, which passed the House unanimously. This bill encouraged the establishment of new science and technology high schools in Virginia.
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a magnet high school located in Eastern Fairfax County, is one of Northern Virginia’s most significant educational success stories in recent years. It was recently rated the #1 high school in America by U.S. News and World Report and its graduates have exceptional admission rates at the most competitive colleges and universities in the United States. TJ draws students from across Northern Virginia and admission is very selective. In the most recent admissions cycle, 2,500 students competed for 485 seats.
Certainly, many qualified students were among the more than 2,000 not admitted. This figure alone makes a strong case for a second science and technology magnet high school in Northern Virginia.
Good Government
Publishing Voting Records
I introduced H.B. 778, requiring the General Assembly to electronically publish the voting records of every member of the Virginia House and Senate on the Virginia General Assembly website. Today, the General Assembly’s website allows easy look up for bills and resolutions, but not voting records by individual member name. Adding a feature to search by a Senator or Delegate’s name is fundamental to creating more openness and transparency of Virginia’s government. H.B. 778 passed the House on an 86-13 vote and is now pending in the Senate. In the meantime, I am the first and only member of the House or Senate to publish my entire floor voting record online. You can see my vote history by clicking on the Voting Record button on this website.
Inventory of State Property
H.B. 782 requires that the Commonwealth of Virginia do a better job of cataloging state-owned land. The bill ensures that the Commonwealth’s land holding records are up to date, accurate and complete. H.B. 782 also requires that some of the proceeds of state owned land sales be used to fund transportation improvements. H.B. 782 passed the General Laws Committee unanimously and was referred to the Appropriations Committee, which deferred further action until 2011.
Extend Polling Hours to 8 p.m.
H.B. 786 would keep the polls open an hour later, until 8 pm on Election Day. Over the years, voters in several parts of the Commonwealth, especially in Northern Virginia, find it difficult to make it to the polls to vote early in the morning because of family or work commitments. Additionally, many are equally as challenged with long commutes and traffic congestion to make it to the polls before the 7 p.m. closing time. As someone who has volunteered at the polls on Election Day, I have heard these complaints first hand. It makes sense to keep the polls open for one hour longer to ensure that all who wish to vote can vote. This bill was tabled in the Privileges and Elections Committee.
Index the State Income Tax
H.B. 784 simply updates our income tax system. During the 1980s, our federal tax system was indexed to inflation. This means that tax brackets and many deductions are adjusted every year to account for inflation. Without tax indexing, taxpayers would pay more tax year-to-year due to inflation.
Tax indexing was never adopted in Virginia. It should be, as inflation–even at a low rate–creates a tax increase every year for Virginians without a vote by the legislature. According to an analysis by the Virginia Department of Taxation, without tax indexing, Virginians face a $500 million tax increase during the next six years. The structure of Virginia’s income tax causes the burden of this tax increase to fall disproportionately hard on the lowest-income workers. H.B. 784 corrects this problem. H.B. 784 was carried over in committee until the 2011 session.
Jobs & Opportunity
Our economy will grow stronger, but not by making government bigger. We cannot spend our way to prosperity and leave behind unimaginable debt for future generations to reconcile. Instead, we need leaders who will implement policies that unleash the potential of Americans to innovate and prosper through our free enterprise system, to make a better life for themselves and their children.
During the 2010 General Assembly session, I voted for a number of bills comprised in Governor McDonnell’s Jobs and Opportunity Agenda. I had the privilege of introducing one such bill on behalf of the Governor. H.B. 792 makes it easier to obtain a temporary business license for certain professional occupations when transferring a business to Virginia. This new provision allows small business owners to establish themselves in Virginia quickly, creating new jobs for Virginians right away. H.B. 792 passed the House and Senate unanimously and was signed into law by Governor McDonnell.
