This evening, I testified before the Commonwealth Transportation Board at a public hearing regarding the proposed Six-Year Improvement Plan (SYIP) for Northern Virginia to request that several, badly needed transportation projects be added to the plan. In my remarks, I urged the board to prioritize funding for projects that would make a significant congestion reduction impact and that would improve the regional mobility of Northern Virginians. I offered several suggestions as to which projects should be included in the plan that are not in the current proposal. A list of those projects can be found below.

Because our transportation construction dollars are limited, projects in the draft SYIP that have not begun and do not have a compelling congestion reduction benefit should be deleted from the plan, and the money allocated to unfunded projects that have such a benefit. My comments that I made to the board are below.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 3, 2012

Statement by Delegate James M. LeMunyon Before the Commonwealth Transportation Board

Good evening, and thank you for the opportunity to speak to the Commonwealth Transportation Board about the proposed Six-Year Improvement Plan (SYIP) for Northern Virginia. I represent the 67th district in the Virginia House of Delegates, which includes portions of Western Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun Counties, including Oakton, Oak Hill, Chantilly, Centreville, South Riding and Fairfax.

As members of the CTB are no doubt aware, the Washington metropolitan area has been rated the worst in the nation for traffic congestion. Correcting this problem is the dominant state public policy issue for residents of the 67th district and a priority of mine in the General Assembly.

Before addressing specific points in the SYIP, I want to acknowledge the fine work of Garrett Moore and thank him and the VDOT team in Northern Virginia for the efforts they are making to improve our transportation system. We have a number of on-going transportation projects in Western Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun Counties, and I appreciate their attention to these projects to keep them on schedule and on budget. In addition, they have been responsive to smaller matters as well, from fixing stops signs to filling potholes, among many other issues, raised by my constituents.

As you may know, I introduced legislation that passed the General Assembly this year, (H.B. 599/S.B. 531) requiring the Department of Transportation, in ongoing coordination with the Commonwealth Transportation Board and others to evaluate and rate all significant transportation projects (including highway, mass transit, and technology projects) in and near the Northern Virginia Transportation District, according to the degree to which the project is expected to reduce congestion and, to the extent feasible, the degree to which the project is expected to improve regional mobility in the event of a homeland security emergency. The legislation also encourages the CTB, when determining the allocation of highway construction funding in the Northern Virginia Transportation District, to give priority to projects that most effectively reduce congestion in the most congested corridors and intersections.

By rating these proposed projects, the CTB will be better informed when selecting projects for funding and will be more confident that our limited transportation dollars will be used to the greatest benefit for the people in Northern Virginia. In fact, without using this type of analysis, we can be virtually certain that reducing congestion will take longer than necessary.

In October of 2011, I appeared at a similar public hearing to request funding for several transportation projects important to people of the 67th district and Northern Virginia. While I am delighted that significant, congestion reduction projects are included in the SYIP, the SYIP continues to include funding for projects that would make little or no difference in reducing congestion and improving the regional mobility of Northern Virginians. They are too numerous to note here.

I offer the following specific comments on the current draft SYIP. The following projects listed in the draft have considerable congestion reduction merit, and should be continued:

• Development of Active Traffic Management along I-66;

• I-66 multi-modal study, continuing the I-66 environmental impact study as a prerequisite to planning additional I-66 improvements, Bus Rapid Transit, and eventual extension of the Orange Line;

• Widening Rt. 50 from Rt.28 to Poland Road;

• Widening Stringfellow Road between Fair Lakes Parkway and Chantilly High School;

• Widening Route 7.

Also, several of my October 2011 recommendations are not included in the SYIP, much to my disappointment. Those projects are not solely located within the bounds of the 67th district, mindful that most of the people I represent travel regularly throughout the Northern Virginia region.

Projects that should be considered for inclusion in the six-year plan include:

• Redesign of the I-66 and Rt. 28 intersection. Conditions continue to worsen at this intersection, with backups of traffic in the westbound shoulder lane exceeding more than a mile most weekday mornings as cars attempt to exit from I-66 westbound to Rt. 28. This is a serious safety problem as well as a congestion problem;

• Redesign of the intersection at Braddock Road and Pleasant Valley Road;

• Installing counters at the parking garages at the Vienna Metro station to encourage more use of Metro, with displays on I-66 (study already completed by Metro – $4 million, estimated at $500/parking spot plus signs);

• Construction of an additional garage at the Vienna Metro station (a study should be conducted);

• Construction of a ramp from I-66 to the West Falls Church Metro station to allow direct access from I-66 to encourage more use of Metro (a study should be conducted);

• Construction of another Potomac River Bridge north of Dulles Airport to connect to I-270 in Maryland (a study should be conducted to explore the best options);

• Widen I-66 eastbound inside the Beltway (a study should be conducted).

Projects in the draft SYIP that have not begun and do not have a compelling congestion reduction benefit should be deleted from the plan, and the money allocated to unfunded projects that have such a benefit.

Thank you and I welcome the opportunity to answer any questions.

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The following week, I will host an ice cream social with special guest, the Honorable George Allen, on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. at Sully Station Clubhouse, 5101 Sequoia Farms Drive in Centreville. The cost to attend is $25 per person or $50 per family. Please reply in advance to RSVP@LeMunyon.com if you plan to attend. Advance payment is preferred online or by mail: LeMunyon for Delegate, P.O. Box 200732, Chantilly, Virginia 20153. **Sponsorship opportunities are available.**

I look forward to seeing you at both of these events!

Today, the House and Senate also considered more than 130 bills vetoed or amended by the Governor. Most but not all of the Governor’s recommendations were accepted. The Governor proposed clarifying amendments to three bills that I authored, which were approved by the House and Senate and became law. Two of these bills, H.B. 599 and H.B. 625 are related to reducing traffic congestion in Northern Virginia and improving our regional mobility in the event of a homeland security emergency in the national capital area. A total of nine bills that I authored became law during the 2012 session.

I’ll have a more complete report about the 2012 session in the near future, as well as an announcement about a town hall meeting.

I voted for this House-Senate compromise budget, which would have significantly increased funds for transportation–$10 billion statewide–and included a 15 percent increase in funding from last year for public schools in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties. Combined, Fairfax and Loudoun County schools would have received $819 million for the 2012-2013 school years. Related to higher education, the budget included funding specifically to increase the number of slots for in-state students at William and Mary, James Madison University, UVA and Virginia Tech, and would have allow for expanded enrollment at community colleges and other four year universities. This is consistent with an amendment I proposed to the budget earlier in the 2012 session.

Among many other priorities, the budget also would have funded 23 vacant judgeships in courts around the state, reduced case backlogs and improved the speed of justice. The state’s pension system would also have been fully funded according to actuarial requirements, which helps keep our commitment to teachers and other local and state government employees.

So why did the budget fail in the Senate? If all of the Senators who signed the budget compromise would have voted yes today, the budget would have passed the Senate. Today, one of the Senators who had signed the formal compromise document, Senator Colgan (D-Manassas), went back on his agreement and voted no on the Senate floor. Had this been expected in advance, we would not have wasted $40,000 in tax dollars to pay for the General Assembly to meet today.

The apparent reason why all Senate Democrats voted against a budget with the items I’ve just noted is that the compromise budget did not raise the state’s transportation debt limit by $300 million for the purpose of providing additional funds specifically earmarked for Phase 2 of Dulles Rail. I find this astounding, since the Commonwealth Transportation Board has the discretion to allocate transportation dollars for any project—including Dulles Rail—from the $10 billion transportation budget, without an increase in the debt limit.

While partisan posturing is all too common in politics, it is relatively rare in Richmond. Unfortunately, the budget issue has now become more than just a matter of petty politics, as local governments, school boards, state universities and agencies are attempting to finalize their budgets for the July 1 start of the fiscal year. But they can’t since there is no state budget to indicate how much state funding can be expected. The budget delay is now causing real harm and we are 74 days away from a government shutdown, including work stoppages on every transportation project in progress across the state.

I am committed to breaking this budget impasse and will keep you posted as things develop. My goal is a balanced budget agreement that includes no new debt and one that brings our fair share of tax dollars back to Northern Virginia.

Over the spring and summer the Virginia Department of Transportation plans to repave 24 miles of the 32-mile, six-lane Fairfax County Parkway between Route 7 in Dranesville and Rolling Road in Springfield. The $19 million maintenance project will take place mostly at night and on weekends, and will require lane closures and occasional detours.

In advance of the work, VDOT is holding four community meetings along the corridor to communicate the work plan and schedule. Each meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

• April 11: Armstrong Elementary School, 11900 Lake Newport Rd, Reston, VA 20194
• April 17: Robinson Secondary School, 5035 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA 22032
• April 24: VDOT District Office, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030
• May 2: West Springfield High School, 6100,Rolling Rd, Springfield, VA 22152

While work will begin in April and be complete in October, the heaviest traffic impacts will be scheduled from June until Labor Day, when Fairfax County schools are out for the summer.

Crews will re-pave the northern section of the Parkway first, from Route 7 to Baron Cameron Avenue (Route 606).

Sections of the Parkway that will not be repaved include the construction work zone area at Fairfax Lakes Parkway and locations that were paved in the last five years.

Unfortunately, the Senate has still not been able to pass a state budget, although a group of Senators is working informally with Members of the House Appropriations Committee to suggest amendments to the House-passed budget that might be acceptable to a majority of Senators. This process is expected to continue for at least two weeks. When an agreement is reached, we will return to Richmond for a “special session” to vote on the budget.

The House-passed budget, which I supported, is a balanced budget and provides for increases in transportation funding as well as funding increases for Fairfax and Loudoun County schools. It also includes funding to increase the number of in-state students in Virginia’s public universities. I made a specific budget request to support the enrollment of more in-state students.

With several hundred bills having passed the House and Senate, it is now a busy time for Governor McDonnell, who must decide to sign, amend, or veto the bills. The General Assembly will return to Richmond on April 18 to consider bills he vetoes or seeks to amend.

I’ll only touch on a few issues in this message in the interest of brevity, but please feel free to view my voting record by going to www.LeMunyon.com and clicking on “voting record.” Be sure to look up my name on the drop down menu. As you may know, I was the first member of the General Assembly to post my voting record on the Internet, and I authored legislation that passed in 2011 to make this a requirement for all House members. I’ll keep you informed as the Governor makes his decisions on bills and the budget negotiations continue.

I am pleased to report that nine bills I introduced passed both the House and Senate with strong bipartisan votes and will be considered by the Governor. These bills address my priorities of transportation, education, and government reform. I also had a hand in drafting or amending bills introduced by other members, including the state budget. These bills are summarized below, with links to the actual text of the bills.

Transportation

H.B. 599 requires that planned transportation projects in Northern Virginia be given a rating to determine the amount of congestion reduction achieved per dollar spent on each project. In this way, we can identify the highest priority projects that offer the biggest “bang for the buck.”

H.B. 601 improves the governance rules of the board that oversees Metrorail and Metrobus, and provides a permanent seat on the board for the Commonwealth of Virginia. I believe these steps are needed to better monitor how more than $100 million in annual state tax dollars are used, as well as our fare dollars, especially given the cost overruns and safety problems that Metro has encountered in recent years.

H.B. 625 requires VDOT to review changes in local zoning and land use plans in Northern Virginia, specifically to identify whether such changes might increase traffic congestion or reduce our mobility in the event of a homeland security emergency. The results would be made available to local governments and the public every time changes in land use are proposed.

H.B. 626 provides for a local government role, in addition to VDOT, in evaluating increased traffic noise in order to help local governments make better decisions about the placement of sound walls and use of quiet pavement technology.

Education

H.B. 603 provides a model policy for adoption by local school boards, if they choose, to establish procedures in which students can attend a public school other than their assigned school. Certain limitations would apply to avoid overcrowding schools, for example. This model policy is particularly intended to address situations that arise with changes in school attendance areas. Similar provisions of law exist in 46 other states.

As a subcommittee chairman on the Education Committee, I also played a role in passing H.B. 1063, to allow local school boards to begin the school year before Labor Day. This bill passed the House by an overwhelming majority, but was defeated in the Senate.

Government Reform

H.B. 609 requires any person engaged in a trade or business licensed by the state to present proof to any customer that they are licensed legally. This bill aims to help you identify fraudulent service providers.

H.B. 620 makes technical changes to Virginia law regarding the use of IT services within the state government.

H.B. 1277 permits local governments to enforce state law requiring persons offering home contracting services (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc.) to be properly licensed by the state. This bill has a purpose similar to H.B. 609 but is specific to home contracting. This bill idea originated from a constituent in the 67th district.

H.B. 621 repeals two outdated sections of Virginia law related to WW II-era housing projects.

I also participated in amending H.B. 1291, legislation proposed by the Governor to eliminate unnecessary state boards and commissions. The original bill would have (unintentionally) made it easier for state government agencies to compete with private businesses in Virginia. My amendments corrected problem.

The House and Senate also passed legislation to reform the state pension system to ensure its long term solvency. I supported these measures, which do not affect persons who are already vested in the state retirement system. Some changes will affect local government employees, including teachers, who have worked fewer than five years. Most changes will affect employees hired in the future.

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Throughout the session, many of you have written or called my office to express your views on legislation before the General Assembly. Thank you. I value your suggestions and comments and hope that you will continue to contact my office now that the session has adjourned. I can be reached by phone, 703-264-1432, or by email, DelJLeMunyon@house.virginia.gov.

I will also stay in close contact with VDOT related to several ongoing transportation projects in our area, and to follow up on the several suggestions for road and safety improvements I have received recently from many of you.

Please keep in touch. It’s good to be home working and visiting with the people I have the honor to represent.

But first, I want to offer congratulations on a job well done to the Oakton High School girls’ varsity swim team for earning first place at the AAA state meet on February 18! My colleague, Delegate Mark Keam (D-Fairfax) and I will introduce a resolution in the House of Delegates next week recognizing the girls’ swim team for their big win.

Route 50 Widening Project

This week, I heard from several constituents living in South Riding about the excessive congestion caused by a one-mile lane closure as part of the Route 50 widening project. I reported these concerns to VDOT immediately, and VDOT expects that the third lane on eastbound Route 50 between Stonecroft Boulevard and Route 28 will be re-opened by Monday, March 5. VDOT engineers as well as the construction contractor are reviewing options for completing the next phase of work, endeavoring to reduce the project’s impact on congestion.

Budget

Recently, the House of Delegates passed an amended version of the Governor’s proposed budget on a bipartisan basis. The budget takes effect July 1, 2012 for two years. The House version of the budget was defeated by the Senate, and the Senate was also unable to generate enough votes (21 are required) to pass its own version of the budget. The ball is now in Senate’s court to decide how they are going to proceed. The Senate is evenly split 20-20 between Republicans and Democrats which has created a challenge for the body to agree on a budget.

It is especially important that the budget is agreed upon and that the process does not drag out because there are many entities, such as school systems, local governments and state agencies, that have already started their planning for the next fiscal year. They depend on state funding and need to know exactly how much funding the state will provide. It is my hope that the Senators will work out their differences and compromise on a budget plan before March 10, which is the date the General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn the 2012 session.

Thank You

This week, I held a telephone town hall meeting to discuss the legislative session and take questions from constituents. Thank you to everyone who participated. As always, please contact my office if you have any questions about the legislation we are considering in Richmond. I can be reached at by phone, 703-264-1432, or by email, DelJLeMunyon@house.virginia.gov. Additionally, my voting record is available on my website, www.LeMunyon.com.

Coming to a Close

A total of eight bills that I introduced have passed the House and Senate and are on the way to the Governor for his signature, with one last transportation bill that I introduced still pending. Next week is our last scheduled week of the 2012 legislative session. Be on the lookout for our end of session wrap up next week.

Transportation: The budget calls for $10 billion for transportation including construction projects and highway maintenance, the highest amount ever appropriated for transportation. The General Assembly does not ear mark transportation dollars for specific projects, but rather the funds are distributed by the Commonwealth Transportation Board and VDOT. As you may know, I have submitted a list of priority projects to the CTB for consideration, and I will continue to work with the CTB and VDOT on an ongoing basis to make sure Northern Virginia gets our fair share of funds for road projects and maintenance.

K-12 Education: The state’s contribution to Fairfax and Loudoun County Public Schools increased in this budget and is one of the largest ever, bringing more of Northern Virginia’s tax dollars back from Richmond for public education. The budget also makes the largest deposit ever to the Virginia Retirement System to help ensure that we can keep our commitments to public employees, including teachers, when they retire.

University Education: The House version of the budget also increases the state’s contribution to public colleges and universities. In particular, funds were added specifically for Virginia Tech, James Madison, UVA and William & Mary to allow 500 more in-state students to gain acceptance to these schools.

Rainy Day Fund: Two years ago, because of the economic downturn, the rainy day fund was used as a way to support the budget and keep it balanced without a tax increase. The current budget will make a $300 million rainy day fund deposit, required by the state constitution, in case of revenue decreases in the event of a future economic downturn.

Please contact me if you need more information about the budget.

On other matters, four of my bills have passed the House and Senate and are headed to the Governor for his signature, while several others continue to move through the legislative process. I expect to provide you with a more detailed update on these items next week.

While my primary focus in Richmond is on issues such as transportation, education, and government reform, including the budget, you may have heard in the news that the General Assembly recently considered legislation related to abortion procedures in Virginia. One bill that has received attention is related to the use of ultrasound. Presently, it is standard practice for abortion clinics to perform an ultrasound scan on a woman to verify the stage of pregnancy prior to an abortion procedure. A House bill considered earlier in the session would have codified this standard practice into law, including the possibility of the use of an internal ultrasound against a woman’s will as a condition of having an abortion. I voted against the bill at that time for this and other reasons related to a lack of clarity of certain provisions in the bill.

The Senate version of the same bill, S.B. 484, came before the House this week. I assisted in drafting an amendment to the bill stating that a woman could not be compelled to have an internal ultrasound. Other clarifying changes were made by the amendment, which was adopted with the support of the Governor. The primary effect of this amended bill, should it become law, would be to require doctors to offer a woman the option of viewing an ultrasound image prior to an abortion. The amended bill passed the House, this time with my support.

I’d like to thank the many people who contacted me recently on this legislation and other bills, both for and against. It turns out that citizens in the 67th district are fairly evenly divided on issues such as abortion and other social issues. I know that no matter how I vote, some people will be happy and other won’t be. I take into account the views of all citizens I represent on social issues and all other matters, and read and consider the bills in detail before making a decision on how to vote. Please know my votes on these issues are made only after careful review, sometimes many hours of consideration. Every message I receive from the people I represent matters a great deal to me.

While social issues have received attention in the media recently, these bills are not the focus of the General Assembly’s 2012 session. Hundreds of bills have passed on matters related to public safety, transportation, the environment, government reform, and social services. As we move toward the close of the session in mid-March, I will keep you informed on the progress of key legislation.

Your comments and suggestions on state public policy are always welcome. Please contact me by email, DelJLeMunyon@house.virginia.gov, or by phone, 804-698-1067.

To discuss some of the legislation considered thus far, I will be holding a tele-town hall meeting this coming Wednesday evening, February 22, at 7:30 p.m. A tele-town hall meeting is similar to a district-wide conference call. I will provide an update about the session and take questions. For the tele-town hall, our office will only call constituents of the 67th district and if you have indicated a “do not call” preference in the past, that will be honored.

Budget

Governor McDonnell introduced a balanced budget for the July 2012-June 2014 period. Next week the House will consider the budget along with amendments proposed by the Appropriations Committee. The Governor’s budget proposal includes providing additional funding for the Virginia Retirement System to help ensure its long-term solvency. As you may know, VRS is the pension plan for state and local employees, including teachers.

Transportation

I reintroduced legislation in the 2012 session, H.B. 599, to require that planned transportation projects be rated based on the amount of congestion reduction achieved per dollar spent on each project. In this way, the highest priority projects that offer the biggest “bang for the buck” can be identified in a publicly available list. Because our transportation dollars are limited, we should be funding these kinds of projects first. H.B. 599 passed the House of Delegates this week and will now be considered by the Senate.

The House also passed H.B. 864, a bill I cosponsored to provide Northern Virginia with more representation on the Commonwealth Transportation Board, which is the decision-making body that allocates transportation infrastructure funds. The bill passed 51 to 47, which was due to the fact that Northern Virginia now has more representation in the House of Delegates as a result of redistricting, following the 2010 census. Northern Virginia’s delegation worked effectively with a coalition of legislators from other regions in Virginia that have traffic problems to provide the winning margin. This vote is significant because it shows that Northern Virginia has more votes than in the past to better address transportation funding issues.

Government Reform

I have been working with the Governor and other members of the House of Delegates on H.B. 1291, to eliminate duplicative and outdated boards and commissions from state government and unnecessary regulations. During the process of considering H.B. 1291, I offered amendments to strengthen the law that prevents the government from competing with the private sector. The General Laws Committee recently approved these amendments. The Governor’s restructuring bill passed the House this week and will now be considered by the Senate.

On another matter, I introduced H.B. 601 to give Virginia a permanent statewide seat on the Metro Board. Virginia provides more than $100 million annually to support Metro rail and Metro bus operations. I believe Virginia needs a permanent watchdog on the board to monitor how our tax dollars are used, especially given the cost overruns and safety problems that Metrorail and Metrobus service has encountered in recent years. H.B. 601 passed the House, 71-26 and will now be considered by the Senate.

As you may know, I was the first member of the House of Delegates to post my voting record online. Legislation I authored last year requires all recorded votes of each member in the House of Delegates to be posted online, effective January 2012. You can access this information by going to my website, www.LeMunyon.com, and clicking on “voting record.”

If you are unable to participate in the tele-town hall meeting on Wednesday, you are always welcome to contact my office by phone, 804.698.1067, or by email, deljlemunyon@house.virginia.gov. I appreciate and value your advice and suggestions.

Since the start of the session on January 11, my office has received more than 3,000 email messages, letters and phone calls from constituents regarding various bills and related public policy issues. There are a few topics on which we’ve received a great deal of mail, and I’d like to share with you those that have generated the greatest interest.

H.B. 1291 endeavors to re-organize numerous state agencies, boards, and commissions to streamline and reduce the cost of government. Of particular interest to many constituents was a part of the bill that would deregulate the profession of interior design. Currently, interior designers are licensed by the state. Upon the request of many voters across the state, this element was removed from the bill and interior designers will still be licensed by the state. This bill passed the General Laws Committee with my support and will be considered by the full House next week.

H.B. 576 addresses employment of public school teachers and principals. The bill as amended by the Education Committee does not affect teachers and principals currently on “continuing contracts” (sometimes referred to as tenure), except to ensure that teachers receive regular performance evaluations. As new teachers enter the teaching profession in Virginia, they would be offered three-year term contracts after a probationary period.

Issues remain with the bill regarding the circumstances under which teachers on a three-year term contract could be released from employment. I met privately with the Governor on this issue yesterday, and I expect that additional amendments to the bill will be made.

H.B. 947 would establish a five-year pilot program to allow home-schooled students to try out for public school athletics under certain conditions. I considered the “pros” and “cons” and good arguments exist on both sides of this issue. I decided to support the bill for several reasons: testimony in committee indicated a small number of students statewide would take advantage of the program, home-school families pay taxes that help support the sports programs, and finally, if this pilot program doesn’t work for some reason it will expire.

Prior to the 2012 General Assembly session, there was widespread speculation regarding whether or not the General Assembly would consider taking steps toward lifting the 30-year ban on uranium mining in Virginia. No Delegate or Senator introduced legislation to lift the ban during the 2012 session. I expect that a bill may be considered in the coming years related to this topic, but want you to know that it will not be addressed this session.

I hope that you have found this summary of these “hot topics” helpful. As always, I value your input and hope that you will continue to communicate your concerns and support for legislation before the Virginia General Assembly. Please feel free to send an email message to DelJLeMunyon@house.virginia.gov or call 702-264-1432. Your call will automatically forward to my office in Richmond.

It is an honor to sit in your chair and work at your desk each day in the Capitol. I’d like to extend my thanks to all who have contacted me to express points of view on various issues. I value the opinions of all citizens regardless of whether we agree or disagree on a particular issue.