Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Whether you're a business owner holding an event or just someone with something to say, here's how to share it with everyone in town.
No, as far as I've heard, there are no zombies at Walmart or anywhere else in town. But that, of course, doesn't mean you have nothing to tell your neighbors. And if you do, I'm here to help. Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Jessie Biele, and I'm your Community Engagement Editor. What do I do? I help you reach your neighbors, right here on Patch. And why do I do that? Because Patch doesn't just talk to you; Patch gets neighbors talking to each other, too. So, if you're a business owner with an event to announce, a school teacher who wants to highlight student achievement, a gardener who wants to share tips to get the whole city blooming or a photographer who wants to share some great pix, I'm here to help. Posting announcements, …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Del. Scott Surovell cast 2,000 votes in this session for the 44th district.
Now that the 2013 session of the General Assembly’s work has been completed, except for the April 3 veto session, I will continue my report on several measures. I have already covered the transportation legislation and Medicaid . I cast 2,000 votes in this session for our district. Six bills that I authored or was chief co-patron for await the Governor’s signature, along with three budget amendments. Three of my bills were referred to study commissions. Last year, we passed legislation that required voters to present some form of identification. This included a social security card, voter registration card, utility bill, bank statement or paycheck. The General Assembly this year approved a bill that deleted all of these and requires a …
Governor McDonnell appears now to be backing out on his agreement with Senate Democrats on Medicaid expansion.
During the final week of the General Assembly Session this year, the Virginia State Senate Democrats worked with Governor Robert McDonnell to reach a compromise to pass a transportation plan — a plan that is funded in part by funds not yet appropriated from Congress. Funds unlikely to ever materialize for Virginia. In return for the Senate Democrats’ votes for the transportation plan, the Governor signed an agreement on Medicaid expansion. We thought this agreement was made in good faith. We are disappointed that Governor McDonnell appears now to be backing out on this agreement, choosing to pacify the right wing of his party instead of working for the health and well-being of our Commonwealth. In a letter to the Obama Administration, …
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
More than 9,000 children in the 44th District receive their healthcare from Medicaid.
Last week, I wrote about the transportation legislation that passed the General Assembly. The other major policy change this session was the expansion of Medicaid. This was especially critical for the 44th District. Medicaid is a federal-state health insurance program for low-income and disabled people. It is also the only provider of long-term nursing care for many Americans, since Medicare coverage and coverage by most private insurance policies is quite limited. Virginia has one of the most restrictive Medicaid programs in the United States — you have to be very poor to be eligible. Most rankings put Virginia at 48th in Medicaid expenditures and 7th in per capita income. In other words, we are a relatively wealthy state and we do …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The General Assembly ended with two major policy changes.
This week, the General Assembly ended with a budget and two major policy changes — a historic transportation bill and a Medicaid expansion process that I will discuss next week. The budget reported and now on the Governor’s desk contained a $2 million line item to pay for a Tier I Study of U.S. 1 pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act that I’ve been fighting to secure for four years. This is the next legally required step towards laying the groundwork for actual major improvements to U.S. 1 between Woodlawn and I-495. The transportation bill (HB2313) has statewide and local components. The statewide component repeals the $0.175 gas tax at the pump and replaces it with a 3.5% unleaded tax and 6.0% diesel tax on wholesalers …
Monday, February 18, 2013
As we move to the end of the General Assembly session, we are engaged in intense negotiations on the major issues. Also, we have had significant progress on U.S. 1.
Earlier this session, Senator Puller and I culminated four years of work to build support for a U.S. 1 study when the McDonnell Administration confirmed that it is holding $2 million to fund the next U.S. 1 improvement study. Last week, I met with over a dozen state, local and regional stakeholders here in Richmond to discuss the next steps on planning U.S. 1 improvements. The study will have several elements. It will likely focus on the stretch of U.S. 1 from the Occoquan River to Alexandria’s southern boundary. Second, there is a consensus that we must consider all modes of transit – Metrorail, light rail and bus rapid transit. Third, it will be based on the regional population, employment and household forecasts maintained by the …
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
By Supervisor Pat Herrity
- GOVERNMENT
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Tuesday, February 12
We have had some successes in improving parts of the Parkway (completing the full Parkway repaving, the Fair Lakes Interchange project, and converting the Parkway to a primary road), but even with these improvements, the Parkway is experiencing significant congestion. In order to get in front of the problem and before we wake up and find the Parkway as congested as I-66, I have asked the Board of Supervisors at today’s meeting to request the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) conduct a Corridor Improvement Study (CIS). A CIS will provide a comprehensive look at what improvements need to be made to the Parkway in order to keep up with increased use. The study will outline short and long term solutions, examine various methods for…
Del. Surovell provides an update from Richmond.
Last week in the General Assembly we hit “Crossover” on Tuesday – the day that each body must complete all work on their own bills. On Monday, I was in the capitol building from 7:30 a.m. until our session ended around 9 p.m. That day, the House of Delegates passed legislation dedicating $17,440 of taxpayer funds to study the creation of a Virginia currency in case the Federal Reserve System fails. It passed on a mostly party-line vote. Minutes later, we also passed legislation condemning the United Nations’ Agenda 21 which the U.N. adopted in 1992. The bill describes Agenda 21 as a “radical plan of purported ‘sustainable development’ [that] envisions the American way of life of private property ownership, single-family homes, and …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The Virginia legislature is approaching "crossover."
The Virginia legislature is now approaching “crossover” – the day that each body must complete work on its own bills and begin work on bills from the other body. As I write this, one of my bills has passed the House and four more are probably headed to the Senate for consideration. Earlier this year, I represented a client who had work done on his condominium by a contractor. My client did not know the contractor was unlicensed. An unlicensed contractor cannot sue because their contract is illegal (like trying to sue on a contract for cocaine), but he placed a lien on my client’s condominium. I was shocked that there was nothing in the mechanic’s lien statute that required a license. My bill requires all contractors to put their …
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Del. Scott Surovell presented twelve bills, cast about three hundred votes at four different committee hearings and two floor sessions during a two-day span last week.
Last week in the General Assembly was a busy one. I have introduced 15 bills, three constitutional amendments, one study resolution, seven budget amendments, and I am Chief Co-Patron on four bills. In two days, I presented twelve bills, cast about three hundred votes at four different committee hearings and two floor sessions. As a child of the 80s, it’s more like the late stages of Atari Missile Command. Three of my bills were referred to study commissions. One would require the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to abide by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The SCC is an independent agency that regulates Virginia utilities, insurance, securities and corporations. My legislation to allow real estate brokers to determine who can…
Jessie Biele
3:28 pm on Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Thank you Michael!! more ›