Weekly Column: Coal Ash Bill Passes, Computers and Predatory Lending to be Studied

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Gazette, The Mt. Vernon Voice, and the Potomac and Stafford Locals in the week of February 20, 2017.

Coal Ash Bill Passes, Computers and Predatory Lending to be Studied

We have one week to go in session and negotiations are rapidly reaching conclusion as we push to finish out work so we can get back to our families and our jobs. 

This past week, my legislation to raise Virginia’s threshold between misdemeanors and felonies from $200 to $500 failed.  Virginia’s threshold has not changed since 1981.  Our existing system unnecessarily focuses police and prosecutors on minor crimes instead of violent crime while tainting thousands of Virginia’s suffering from depression or drug addiction with felony charges for life. 

The House of Delegates passed my legislation requiring Dominion to provide better information on coal ash pollution, disaster preparedness, and recycling.  I am not happy that a permitting moratorium was removed, it is better than no bill at all and the Governor will also have a chance to amend the legislation.

The House is also poised to pass my legislation that would require the police to provide police records to next of kin in deaths involving suicide or unattended deaths.  Some police departments refuse to provide this information.  I think it will help families achieve closure and assure high quality policing. 

Two of my more significant bills have been referred for further study.  As a part-time legislature, we frequently refer meritorious, but complex proposals to groups who meet outside of session that have better staff support, can take a deeper dive into policy choices, and provide a longer period for stakeholder vetting.  

My legislation that would require school systems to purchase personal computing devices for all students expected to use electronic textbooks was sent to the Future of Public Elementary and Secondary Education Joint Committee.  I am hopeful we will finally come up with some guidelines to make a personal digital device an essential learning tool in the Commonwealth. 

Also, my legislation requiring regulation of predatory internet lenders was sent to the Virginia’s Bureau of Financial Institutions who was directed to create a working group to propose a regulatory framework in 2018.  Today, internet lenders are making loans in Virginia at rates north of 500%.  For example, this week I went to www.cashnetusa.com and they are offering loans for $100, $300, or $1800 at a daily rate of 0.8192% or in other words - an APR of 299% before you include the 15% “transaction fee” on your initial loan.  This means if you borrow $100 and make no payments you would owe $458.86 after one year before late fees.  Others have seen rates as high as 5,000%.  We need to get this under control. 

This week, I also hope to be part of negotiating the final terms of my legislation placing controls on the City of Alexandria’s raw sewage discharges.  The House passed similar legislation that takes a different approach.  Also, about 10 more of my bills are set to pass the House of Delegates this week. 

We will begin the process of packing up our office in preparation of moving to temporary office space for the next four years.  The current General Assembly Building is an agglomeration of four asbestos-laden, leaky, and unreliable buildings with uncoordinated elevators and lousy accessibility.  We will move down the hill for four years as “the GAB” is demolished and reconstructed through 2022. 

Finally, I have received nearly 400 responses to my Constituent Survey.  Please make sure you provide your opinions soon at www.scottsurovell.org/survey. 

It is an honor to serve as your state senator.