February 6, 2011

With Crossover only a few days away, the pace at the General Assembly has reached a sprint as we work to complete action on all House Bills. Crossover, which falls on Tuesday, February 8 this year, is the last day that the House of Delegates can act on a House Bill. On Wednesday, all bills that have passed the House will be sent to the Senate for their consideration, and we will begin to consider all Senate Bills that have passed the Senate. If a bill hasn’t passed the House by Tuesday, then that particular bill will not pass the General Assembly this year.

Spotlight On: Transportation Bill Passes House

Arguably the biggest issue before the House this week was the Governor’s transportation plan. House Bill 2527, which contained major components of the Governor’s transportation plan, passed on a 65-33 vote on Friday.

The biggest components of the bill accelerate previously approved transportation bonds and deposit those funds into a transportation infrastructure bank. Let me be clear – this bill does not create new debt for the state. The debt that is being accelerated has already been incorporated into our budget. By accelerating the bonds, we will be able to take advantage of near record low interest rates and low construction costs. This acceleration will ultimately save the state in both construction and interest rate costs.  This means we’ll be able to build projects in our area for much less and much faster than we otherwise would have.

Some have said we’re running up the credit card, but I don’t think that’s an accurate comparison. The acceleration is more akin to refinancing a home loan to improve the house. We’ve looked at the budget, we know we can afford it, and we’ll be improving the quality of our home — the Commonwealth of Virginia. The infrastructure bank and accelerated bonds will go a long way to make roads better in our area and throughout the Commonwealth.

“Top Jobs” higher education reform bill passes House unanimously

Another one of Governor McDonnell’s major reform initiatives was his higher education bill. The “Top Jobs of the 21st Century” higher education reform bill, with considerable input from the Governor’s Commission on Higher Education Reform, Innovation, and Investment, unanimously passed the House of Delegates on Wednesday. The Commission, which brought together stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, focused on advancing reforms that will increase access for Virginia students at our colleges and universities at an affordable price and ensure that our students are receiving a top-class education that prepares them for the jobs of the future.

Your Bills

I am delighted on the progress of my legislative agenda, as our bills to address job creation and economic development (HB1837, HB2335 and HB 2453), government reform (HB2337, HB2338, HB1838 and HB1839), and healthcare (HB1434 and HB1840) all continue to progress. I am honored to sponsor some of the Governor’s Key initiatives in these areas, and look forward to seeing this prudent public policy working for our families, our businesses, our community and our Commonwealth.

Closing

As always, my staff and I are here in Richmond to serve you. We want to hear what you think about the legislation pending before the House, or if there’s anything we can do to help you in dealing with a state government agency. My office can be reached at (804) 698-1023 or via the Internet at DelSGarrett@house.virginia.gov. If you are planning to visit Richmond during Session, I encourage you to visit me in Room 718.

Thank you again for allowing me to serve as your Delegate