Pausing from the hectic legislative calendar to draft this report, I suppose we should not be surprised that our legislative agenda is filled with relentless attacks on women's reproductive health, on voter rights, immigrants and public education, as well as the promotion of gun rights, including one bill that affirmed the right to carry handguns in airports. We know these issues have reliably energized the conservative base for years. Still, it is appalling to reflect on the impact that the recent redistricting and subsequent 2011 elections have had on the politics of our Commonwealth.

The Virginia General Assembly convened the 2012 Legislative Session on Wednesday, January 11. This year's 60-day long session is scheduled to conclude on Saturday, March 10.

Next week the 2012 legislative assembly convenes in Richmond, and the Governor will deliver his State of the Commonwealth Address. His themes will include the laudable economic performance of the Commonwealth as compared to other states, as well as the responsible fiscal policy and pragmatic management accomplishments of his administration. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, though.

Water Supply Concerns Continued--my serious concerns about the Governor's proposal to withdraw Virginia from the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) have been reinforced upon reading the letter that Virginia’s Secretary of Natural Resources wrote to me in order to calm my fears.

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The good news is that Virginia may be one step closer to improving the traffic flow on I-95. The Federal Highway Administration has granted Virginia preliminary authority to charge tolls on vehicles entering Virginia from North Carolina and presumably at other points along the route. The bad news is that there is a formidable set of questions to be answered and steps that must be taken before preliminary approval can become permission and the process can move forward.    Read more...

This past Monday, the Washington Post's editorial page weighed in on the topic of Miranda rights for children in schools (The Washington Post 8/29/2011). The editorial addressed the recent Supreme Court decision that requires police officers questioning students about potential criminal violations in a school setting to advise them that they do not have to answer and, if they do, the information may be used to prosecute them.    Read more...  

As the August 23rd primary date nears, campaign signs are cropping up across Northern Virginia, candidates are knocking on doors and shiny direct mail pieces are showing up in mailboxes. Please check to see if there are contested races in your districts and remember to vote.

Though national and international economic events are dominating the news, these forces are already impacting Virginia and it is important that individuals who reflect your views represent you in Richmond. Read more....  

Most newly-enacted legislation becomes law in July of each year, unless categorized as "Emergency", which becomes law immediately upon passage by the General Assembly and subsequently being signed by the Governor.  Read more... 

I have been recuperating from knee replacement surgery over the past few weeks, and I have had lots of "free" time to think during physical therapy and my daily 4-6 hour home rehab program. During one stationary bike ride, I read an article about the failure of Governor McDonnell's demonstration program that offered $3 million to Virginia school districts willing to evaluate and partially compensate teachers based on student test scores. No Northern Virginia districts signed up for the program, but as I thought about the issue and the context, I felt a rising sense of outrage. Let me explain.    Read more... 

Because I am a Democrat, each year from the middle of January to the middle of March or April (depending on the year), I sit literally beside other Democrats in the House of Delegates. We sit together as we work on legislation, including the adoption of a budget, that we all believe will improve state and local governance, and will benefit Virginians across the Commonwealth. I don’t agree with my Democratic colleagues on all policies or, as is true of a few of my caucus members, even on some basic principles; but, we avowedly share the conviction that Virginians want and need “can do” government that makes positive and constructive contributions to the well being of all our constituents.   Read more...