OUR "SOUTH OF 66" TOWN HALL IS RESCHEDULED FOR THIS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH AT 10 A.M. AT FAIRFAX CITY HALL AND WE WILL DISCUSS THE STATE BUDGET SITUATION WITH DELEGATE BULOVA
Dear Friends, Neighbors, and citizens of Fairfax:
Tuesday the Senate finished work on its own bills and hit the "cross-over" date, marking the halfway point of the 2010 session.
There have been stirring speeches, regional rivalries and controversial votes which I have chronicled at www.oxroadsouth.com. In the next few days, the Senate will finally tackle the state budget and Governor McDonnell's long-awaited cuts. I will keep you all updated on the process.
Here is a quick check-list of my own legislation:
SB 109 ("Green Buildings Act") -- requires that all new state buildings be built according to LEED or equivalent standards. Passed Senate unanimously.
SB 110 ("Clean Energy Financing") -- allows localities to finance home improvements which conserve energy by taking a lien on the improved property. Passed Senate on a vote of 26-14.
SB 111 ("Structured rates") -- permitted the state to require structured electric rates to incentivize conservation. Killed in Committee.
SB 112 ("SAVE Act") -- sets up a system for natural gas companies to update their pipelines and avoid carbon emissions. Passed Senate unanimously.
SB 114 ("VDOT assistance") -- indexed our state gas tax to highway usage in order to maintain minimum revenue for road maintenance. Rolled into bill of Senator Hanger (R-Augusta) which passed Senate.
SB 116 ("Fraud Protection for Churches") -- gave churches legal standing under our Consumer Protection Act when they are targeted for fraud. Passed Senate unanimously.
SB 117 ("Immunity for Church Meals") -- exempted churches from health code restrictions when they serve meals to members or guests. Passed Senate unanimously.
SB 118 ("Interest Disclosure") -- required the Senate Clerk to post on-line the financial disclosures of each Senator regarding their personal employment and income. Passed Senate unanimously.
SB 119 ("Contribution Limits") -- limited "super-size" contributions by corporations and individuals to Virginia candidates to $20,000 per campaign cycle. Defeated in Committee.
These are just a few of my bills. There's more which you can find on-line. The last 30 days have been very busy, but I'm proud of our hard work thus far. Special thanks to my Richmond staff, which includes three full-time staff and two student volunteers, for their long hours and dedicated service.
We are halfway done with miles more to go.
JCP Notes: Will anybody forget "Snowmageddon"? Thanks to everyone who contacted us. We are painfully aware of shortcomings in our state response, and your comments helped us mitigate the worst situations. Along with Delegates Bulova and Watts, I've drafted a letter to the Secretary of Transportation to improve our state response for the next winter storm crisis. I will post it on www.fairfaxsenator.com.
A special thanks to Kathy Neilson, my Chief of Staff, who spent countless hours on the phone with VDOT to coordinate neighborhood assistance.
Snow or not, we are here til mid-March. Next week will be "Budget Week" and that's when the real work begins. We are trying to preserve core services for the young, the old and the disabled. We will make some very tough choices and I don't expect them to be popular.
Thanks again for your thoughts, questions and prayers. As always, please feel free to email us at www.fairfaxsenator.com or 804-698-7534.
Let us know how we can represent you better.
Sincerely,
Chap Petersen
