Weekly Column: General Assembly Is Finalizing Bills

The following is my column that will appear in this week's Mt. Vernon Gazette in the week of February 20, 2023.  

 General Assembly Is Finalizing Bills

    Now that the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates have completed work on all bills from each chamber, each chamber has begun work on bills from the other chamber.  Some of the more difficult bills met their fate last week. 

    It appears that both houses will approve around 20 of my bills which I will discuss in a future column.  This column focuses on several of my bills that the House of Delegates rejected.

Protecting Choice

    In the aftermath of last year’s Dobbs decision, we must do everything we can to protect Virginia women and healthcare providers from prosecution for exercising their reproductive healthcare rights.  Virginia is likely to become a sanctuary for women seeking reproductive healthcare due to our geographic position and existing laws.  My legislation would prohibit the extradition of Virginia medical professionals who provide reproductive healthcare to other states.  It failed on a party-line vote.  

Weekly Column: Crossover Approaches, Protecting Women & Expanding Solar Access

The following is my column that will appear in this week's Mt. Vernon Gazette in the week of February 8, 2023.  

 Crossover Approaches, Protecting Women & Expanding Solar Access

               The middle of the General Assembly session is called “Crossover” – the day that each chamber must complete work on all bills originating in each chamber before starting work on bills that have “crossed over” from the other Chamber.

               I introduced thirty-one pieces of legislation and twenty-nine appear to be on track to cross to the House of Delegates where passage will be much more difficult.  I was disappointed that my bill to turn the VA529 Plan’s $1.4 billion actuarial surplus into an endowment for Pell-eligible students failed, but no competing bills passed and both chambers appear poised to set up committees to further study the issue over the coming year to see if we can develop a consensus approach. 

Weekly Column: The 2023 General Assembly Has Started Its Work

The following is my column that will appear in this week's Mt. Vernon Gazette in the week of January 15, 2023.   

The 2023 General Assembly Has Started Its Work

The first week of the General Assembly session is in the books. We spent most of it getting organized. 

On the day before the session started, we learned that Virginia Beach voters had elected Virginia Beach Councilman Aaron Rouse to the state Senate in a special election to replace now-Congresswoman Jen Kiggans.  That changed the party composition of the Senate to 22 Democrats and 18 Republicans.  Senator-elect Rouse will be sworn in this week after his election is certified and he will be a welcome addition.   

Weekly Column: The U.S. Supreme Court Decision Threatens Women’s Fundamental Rights

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of June 26, 2022.

The U.S. Supreme Court Decision Threatens Women’s Fundamental Rights

Last week the U.S. Supreme Court issued three very important decisions: Carson v. Maikin, New York Rifle & Pistol Assn v. Bruen and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org. (Dobbs).  The Carson case relates to taxpayer funding of religious schools.  NY Rifle affects firearm violence prevention.  Dobbs eviscerates a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions.  This column addresses the Dobbs decision.  I will discuss NY Rifle next week, Carson and the Governor’s budget amendments in future columns. 

             The Dobbs case overruled the landmark Roe v. Wade decision which has been the law of the land since January 22, 1973.  That decision held that the right to privacy embodied in various amendments in the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights gave women a constitutional right to make their own healthcare decisions.  Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the Roe case was wrongly decided and should no longer stand. 

Weekly Column: 2020 Virginia Legislature to Consider Many Reforms

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of November 17, 2019.

2020 Virginia Legislature to Consider Many Reforms

          Election Day, November 5, 2019, brought a political earthquake to Virginia.  The Governor’s office, House of Delegates and Senate of Virginia will be controlled by Democrats for the first time since 1991.  Virginians voted for change and we are likely to see significant changes in Virginia policy after nearly 30 years of delayed and avoided actions.  The 2020 Session is a welcomed opportunity to bring Virginia up to speed with the rest of the country.  Your state legislators are now preparing for the 2020 General Assembly session which will begin on January 8 and end in March.

New Laws Effective Today - 7/1/12

Here is a sample of some new laws that are going into affect today:

• Mandatory ultrasound within 48 hours of an abortion (transvaginal requires consent).
• Families of fifth grade girls will no longer be offered vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV) which prevents cervical cancer
• Identification required to vote (pending DOJ approval)
• Virginians can now sue if someone negligently injures their fetus (e.g. in a car accident)
• Adoption agencies are allowed to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, race or religion
• Taxpayers may donate to foundations that support private schools and take a 100%/dollar-for-dollar credit against their taxes.  Donations to other needy charities still get only a regular deduction.
• Virginians can now buy more than one handgun per month or more than twelve handguns per year
• Virginians employed by local governments can now keep their guns in their cars on local government property
• Electricity generated by pig waste now gets the same credit as wind and solar under Virginia's renewable energy standards
• Ignition Interlock Devices required for restricted license after convictions of driving while intoxicated
• Must pay sales taxes on all purchases from Amazon.com (actually effective 9/1/13, but is a law without further action starting 7/1/12)

Not many of my constitutents would consider any of the foregoing priorities (the last two are debatable). 

Needless to say, we have made zero progress on transportation funding.  Schools are still funded below 2007 levels.  We are not in compliance with federal health insurance reform because we have not raised our Medicaid eligibility or set up a state healthcare exchange.

Hopefully, we will do better in the 2013 Session.

2012 End of Session Sine Die Letter

Every year I send out a letter summarizing the General Assembly Session.  Most of us call it our Sine Die Letter named after the motion that is made to adjourn sine die at the end of a session. 

My letter for 2012 appears below the fold.

Also, check out my end of session summaries and my voting record with the following links:

The Dixie Pig: 2012 Session Wrap Up (Minus a Budget)
The Dixie Pig: 2012 Budget Misses the Mark

The Dixie Pig: Movie Star Tax Credits, A Gay Judge & the Session Ends

Delegate Scott A. Surovell's 2012 Voting Record

Weekly Column: Movie Star Tax Credits, A Gay Judge & The Session Ends

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, the Mt. Vernon Voice and Patch in the week of May 14, 2012

Movie Star Tax Credits, A Gay Judge and the Session Ends 

Well, it’s over. The 2012 General Assembly ended on May 15, 2012 at 2:00 a.m. after a 13-hour House of Delegates’ session involving 117 of Governor Bob McDonnell’s amendments and the election of 40 judges. It was a fitting end to a very contentious session.

The day was not without controversy. This year, we authorized a bonus and raises for state employees for the first time in five years to be funded with unanticipated revenues.  These state employees include state troopers, corrections employees and people who work for the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC), Department of Transportation (VDOT), judges, court clerks, game wardens, and colleges. On a zero to 95 vote, the House of Delegates rejected the Governor’s proposal to allow raises only if employees could find millions of dollars of cuts in 45 days.

Weekly Column: A National Spotlight Shines on Virginia and Fighting Education Cuts

This column below was my weekly column that appeared in the Mount Vernon Gazette, Mt. Vernon Voice and Patch in their February 29, 2012 editions:

A National Spotlight Shines on Virginia and Fighting Education Cuts

This past week, the Virginia General Assembly received even more national media attention. None of it related to our budget debate and none of it was good.

Early in the week, the legislature was featured by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. That lead to a slew of news stories, negotiations, speeches, and legislative maneuvers. When all the dust was cleared, the so-called “personhood” bill that would ban contraception was continued by the Virginia Senate to 2013 for discussion.

Weekly Column: National Controversy and the Budget Process Begins

This column appeared in the Mount Vernon Gazette, Mt. Vernon Voice and Patch on February 23, 2012: 

National Controversy and the Budget Process Begins

Crossover Week at the General Assembly found us in the national media spotlight of Saturday Night Live, CNN and the Rachel Maddow Show. Over 1,000 demonstrators appeared at the State Capitol this week.

On Monday and Tuesday, the House of Delegates passed legislation redefining a “person” for purposes of the Code of Virginia as beginning at conception. This has been called the “Personhood” bill. Given that the word “person” is used 25,000 times in the Code of Virginia, this would have far-reaching consequences. This would include taxes, child support, life insurance, health insurance, the practice of medicine, criminal statutes, civil liability, or even High Occupancy Vehicles (e.g. HOV-2).

My caucus attempted to add an amendment to the bill to clearly exclude FDA-approved contraception from this legislation. That amendment failed on a 64-34 vote.

We also passed legislation requiring an ultrasound within twenty-four hours of having an abortion. Given that many abortions occur in the first trimester and a fetus cannot be properly visualized in the first trimester with an external sonogram, this would require a medically-unnecessary transvaginal or what some are calling as vaginally penetrating ultrasound.

Weekly Column: Bipartisan Transportation Progress and A Week of Controversy

This column appeared in the Mount Vernon Gazette, Mt. Vernon Voice and Patch on February 16, 2012: 

Bipartisan Transportation Progress and A Week of Controversy

This week brings the midpoint of the General Assembly Session and “Crossover Day” – the day that the House and Senate must finish all work on bills originating from their own chambers.

After three years of work, my legislation to “redistricting” the Commonwealth Transportation Board (“CTB”) passed the House of Delegates. The CTB decides where transportation dollars are spent. There are nine commissioners representing districts derived from the congressional districts in 1930. Today, Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Richmond have 64.95% of Virginia’s population and three of nine regional votes. The other six districts represent 35.05% of the state and have six of nine regional votes. My bill requires representation based on current congressional districts.

Weekly Column: Attacking Tax Evasion While Gun, Abortion, and Voter Suppression Dominates

This column appeared in the Mount Vernon Gazette, Mt. Vernon Voice and Patch on February 9, 2012: 

Attacking Tax Evasion While Gun, Abortion, and Voter Suppression Dominates

The last week of January brought a quickened pace to the legislative process as committees worked to push bills through committee. We are required to complete all work on bills from our own Chamber by “Crossover” on February 14 which means they must be reported out of committee by February 10.

First, several of my bills have continued to move through the system. Two of my bills have passed to the Senate. My legislation to streamline filings in child custody and visitation cases was unanimously approved by the Courts of Justice Committee but stalled in Appropriations due to the current budget and the cost of reprogramming state computers.

Weekly Column: Progress on Transportation, Government Efficiency & Controversial Legislation Up for Debate

This column appeared in the Mount Vernon Gazette, Mt. Vernon Voice and Patch on February 2, 2012: 

Progress on Transportation, Government Efficiency & Controversial Legislation Up for Debate


Week #4 of the General Assembly saw two of my bills pass and many controversial proposals starting to hit the floor of the House of Delegates.

I had two pieces of legislation that passed the House of Delegates unanimously. Both bills clarify the Code of Virginia on technical issues. I have several other bills that are working their way through committee.

I also saw some progress on transportation – at least on the procedural side. The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) decides how transportation money is spent in Virginia. The regional commissioners represent districts that were based on 1930’s congressional districts. Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Richmond have 65% of the state’s population but only 33% of the regional votes on the CTB (3 of 9). In 2010, 2011 and this year, I introduced legislation requiring them to be allocated by current congressional districts. This would give Northern Virginia at least three votes instead of one.

This year, my legislation was also introduced by three Republican delegates and two senators. We agreed to consolidate our proposals into one bill being carried by my colleague Delegate Tom Rust and we now have over fifty-one bipartisan cosponsors from around the state and the bill should be on the floor by the end of the week. I am pleased it is finally moving.

When I turned forty years-old this year, I had to renew my driver’s license. While going through the process, I noticed that if I indicated a change of address, the DMV intended to mail me a voter registration form which I would then have to mail in. I introduced legislation that would require the DMV to electronically transmit the change request to the local voter registrar saving the need for printing, postage, and mailing. Given that the DMV processes 500,000 address changes per year, this should save the DMV at least $250,000 per year. My bill was passed out of subcommittee last week and should be in full committee next week.

Late last week, we debated repealing the requirement that schools advise the parents of sixth-grade girls of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine and allow parents to opt their child out before administering the vaccine. Virginia passed this requirement in 2007. HPV infects about 80% of all American women at some point in their life. It causes cervical cancer which kills 233,000 women per year in the world (about 4,000 in the US). We had a passionate floor debate. Many in my chamber think that the vaccine incentivizes promiscuity and raised concerns about the safety of the vaccine although studies have shown few problems. I voted against repeal and the bill passed 62-34. The repeal will likely become law.

This week, we are debating additional restrictions to voting including bills to prohibit voting without valid identification and limiting public access to the post-election meetings where votes are verified. I opposed both measures but they are expected to pass. There are no documented cases of voter impersonation in Virginia and I believe prosecution of a felony is sufficient disincentive to discourage that kind of behavior and I believe the motives of this bill are purely political.

Voting is a fundamental constitutional right. In knocking 12,000 doors in my district, I have met many elderly voters that do not need a driver’s license. There is a monastery near Bryant School that where thirty nuns live who probably do not have ID. Over 20,000 licenses are reported lost every year, plus 500,000 licenses are suspended every year and many of those are physically forfeited. Your right to vote should not be dependent upon whether you can pay a traffic ticket or can keep track of your wallet.

Please continue to follow my website (www.scottsurovell.org) or blog (scottsurovell.blogspot.com) for current updates. Friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ssurovell). Over 200 households have responded so far! You can also comment on legislation, set up a meeting or request a Capitol tour at www.scottsurovell.org.

Good government requires your involvement so please be in touch or come visit in Richmond so I can best represent you in the General Assembly. It is an honor to serve as your State Delegate.

2012 Town Hall Recap

Last Saturday, January 14, 2012, I held a Town Hall Meeting with Senator Toddy Puller and Senator Adam Ebbin.  The introductory statement I gave at the outset is in the video below.



I wrote a short recap of the questions in my weekly column last week which I posted below and Patch also ran an article.

Weekly Column: New Committees, Redistricting Rockets Through & A Town Hall

Sens. Puller & Ebbin, Del. Surovell Hold Mount Vernon Town Hall

If you were unable to make it and have any questions, please contact me. 

2011 Budget Highlights

Last night, we ended the session by voting on the proposed amendments to the State Budget as worked out by the House and Senate. The Budget cleared both houses unanimously for the first time in a long time.

The budget was truly a bipartisan compromise where both sides gave. It was negotiated by twelve "Budget Conferees" (Delegates Kirk Cox, Chris Jones, Beverly Sherwood, Steve Landes, Johnny Joannou and Senators Dick Saslaw, Chuck Colgan, Janet Howell, Edd Houck, William Wampler, Walter Stosch, and Tommy Norment) who worked tirelessly over the last week to produce a the result. The fact that there were no dissenting votes say a lot about their effectiveness, efforts, and creativity.

Governor Bob McDonnell also deserves to be commended for moving the parties along through their negotiations.

It now moves on to the Governor for his review, line item vetoes, or acceptance and will be our state budget through June 30, 2012 once finally approved.

Here are some highlights.

Overall Highlights

• No General Fund money was contribued to transportation other than amounts required by previously enacted statutes. Transportation in Virginia has historically been funded by taxes deposited into a separate fund called the Transportation Trust Fund.
• The budget makes a $64 million prepayment to the constitutionally-required Rainy Day Fund contribution required next year which will be massive (over $200 million due).
• A gimmick used to balance the State Budget last year - early payment of sales tax revenue by businesses - was removed for 80% of Virginia businesses (businesses with less than $5.4 million of revenue).
• The budget gave state employees a 5% raise, but required state employees to contribute 5% to the Virginia Retirement System. State employees previously made no contribution to VRS.
• The Budget contains no new taxes and removed some fee increases from last year.

Education Funding

• K-12 funding was increased over and above what the Governor proposed by about $80+/- million. That will result in Fairfax County receiving $4.1 million over what the Governor proposed.
• The "hold harmless" payment to localities whose education funding should have gone down last year due to budget cuts was maintained (does not affect Northern Virginia).
• The House's proposal to take funding from low income preschool programs to fund full-day kindergarten was rejected.
• The Budget directed at least $20 million in new monies to various state universities to increase Science, Technology, Engineering and Math programs and increase college capacity.

Health Care

• The budget increased Medicaid provider funding by $100 million to partially make up for the $400 million in cuts last year. This will help avoid further doctors refusing Medicaid patients and will help with everyone's insurance rates.
• We also increased the number of Medicaid waivers for profoundly disabled adults and set aside $30 million to assist in the transition from institutional facilities to community care centers to comply with a Department of Justice investigiation and request.
• Funding for AIDS drug programs was restored. I had constituents who specifically lobbied me about this issue and had been cut off due to budget cuts.
• The Governor proposed to cut $2 million of funding for the Healthy Families Program - a proven program that reduces the incidence of domestic abuse in Northern Virginia. The budget we approved restored $500,000 of those cuts. Plus, a small increase funding for Northern Virginia Family Services which helps low income households in Northern Virginia was budgeted.

Judicial System & Public Safety

• Last year, we froze elections on judges due to budget constraints. This resulted in the loss of one open judgeship in Fairfax County, two in Arlington County due to retirements and one in the City of Alexandria due to retirements. Alexandria gets its judgeship, the rest of Northern Virginia does not.
• $15 million in new "599" funding for new police positions in localities.
• The House's effort to terminate drug court funding was avoided.
• The Governor's effort to substantially scale back funding for Juvenile non-incarceration sentencing programs was avoided. '
• The Governor's proposal to raid $5 million from attorney bar dues to fund the general budget was rejected.
• The state had to appropriate $270,000 for new mandatory minimum sentences enacted this year.

State Parks

• $1.2 million was provided to create 15 new positions in our State Parks which are seeing record visitation.

Social Issues & Other Items

• The House's proposed cuts to public television were largely avoided.
• The House's proposed ban on stem cell funding was rejected.
• The House's proposed ban on Planned Parenthood funding was rejected.
• Rejected a Senate proposal to spent $500 million on new office space in Capitol Square including a $300 million new General Assembly Building.

I will write about the transportation bill we passed this year later this week. In the meantime, if you have any specific questions about the state budget, please post them up below or shoot me an email at scottsurovell@gmail.com.