Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Weekly Column: Budget Overtime Likely, BYOB Legalized, and U.S. 1 Utilities

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Mt. Vernon Voice, and the Potomac and Stafford Locals in the week of February 6, 2018.

Budget Overtime Likely, BYOB Legalized, and U.S. 1 Utilities
Week Seven of the General Assembly brought some focus to the state’s budget situation and movement on a few important bills of the session.
On Tuesday we debated our respective budget amendments.  The budgets are separated by a massive revenue gulf due to Medicaid.  The House of Delegates’ budget included Medicaid Expansion with a work requirement.  The Senate Budget did not.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

BYOB at Swimming Pool Legal After July 1, 2018

This week, we passed a bill that legalized activity that most of my constituents probably thought was legal.

Before homeowners' associations came into existence in the 1980's, neighbors banded together to form associations to purchase property to build recreational amenities such as pools and tennis courts.  We have many in the 36th District including the Little Hunting Park Club, Inc., Hollin Hills Pool, Hollin Meadows Swim and Tennis Club, Riverside Gardens Swim and Tennis Club, Hayfield Farm Swim Club, Mansion House Club, Inc., Virginia Hills Swim Club, and the Mount Vernon Park Association.

As a side note, one of these pools was the defendant in litigation that resulted in the desegregation of pools.  I wrote about it here:


I have been a member of the Mount Vernon Park Association since I was four-years old in 1975.  As an adult, we've often used their picnic facilities to cook out and drink a bottle of wine.  I was surprised when this year, I found out that was illegal!

Apparently, Virginia Law currently requires a private facility to obtain a banquet license every time someone wants to consume alcohol on their premises.  Delegate Rip Sullivan came to the rescue with HB 1520 which codifies an exception for personal consumption of alcoholic beverages at swim clubs.

The bill actually got a little bit of heat in committee and on the floor so I had to stand up and defend it.  You can watch the floor debate above.

I am proud that my constituents can now continue to drink alcohol at their swim clubs (subject to club rules) without fear of prosecution!

Monday, February 19, 2018

Weekly Column: 21 Bills Cross, Predatory Lending Restricted, and Coal Ash Progress

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Mt. Vernon Voice, and the Potomac and Stafford Locals in the week of February 6, 2018.
               Week Six of the General Assembly brought us to the midpoint of session, completion of work on all bills in our own chambers, and announcement of the proposed House and Senate budgets.
              Twenty-one of my bills “crossed over” to the House of Delegates including several this week.  First, my legislation continuing the moratorium on permitting the closure of coal ash ponds was continued for fourteen months so the legislature could have more time to gather information. 
Most other states have moved towards recycling coal ash into products such as bricks and concrete instead of burying it the ground for eternity.  Dominion has estimated that recycling will cost $4-8 billion but the recycling community contends that is greatly overstated.  My bill requires Dominion to seek specific recycling proposals from coal ash recyclers and to pass proposals along to the legislature so we can consider the actual cost of recycling next year.  It is important that we have correct information before we decide to make a decision that will pass along over a billion dollars of cost to electricity rate payers.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Weekly Column - Week Five: A Deal on Misdemeanor-Felony Threshold, Coal Ash Continues

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Mt. Vernon Voice, and the Potomac and Stafford Locals in the week of February 6, 2018.
Week Five: A Deal on Misdemeanor-Felony Threshold, Coal Ash Continues
The fifth week of session brought a furious pace to legislating including some of the most contentious bills of the session as we approached “crossover” – the day the Senate and House are required to complete action on legislation originating in each chamber.  It was mostly a successful week for me.  Twenty-one of my bills are now set to pass the Senate to be considered by the House of Delegates.
First, Governor Northam announced an agreement to raise Virginia’s threshold between misdemeanors and felonies from $200 to $500.  Once enacted, Virginia’s threshold will still be the second lowest in the United States.  I have introduced this legislation every year for nine sessions I was pleased it is finally going to be enacted into law.  

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Weekly Column: Progress on Predatory Lending, Fracking, and Education Equity

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Mt. Vernon Voice, and the Potomac and Stafford Locals in the week of February 6, 2018.
Progress on Predatory Lending, Fracking, and Education Equity 

The third week of the General Assembly brought action on about two dozen of my bills.
First, my two remaining bills to address education equity were unanimously recommended by the Education Subcommittee.  The first bill prohibits localities from requiring children to use “electronic textbooks” without providing students with devices to use such “books” at home.  Many children in the U.S. 1 Corridor do not have computers or broadband at home and our schools should not mandate electronic learning without providing devices.

Friday, February 2, 2018

Chuck Colgan's Top 10

Last year, the longest serving member of the Senate of Virginia, Chuck Colgan, passed away After a long and impressive career in the Senate of Virginia where he served from 1976 to 2016 after serving the people of Prince William County for thirty years.  

At his funeral, his family put "Chuck Colgan's Top Ten" into the program which were rules that he told his children to live by.  A picture of them is at the right.  Good advice to follow!