The new “civil remedial fee” part of the recent compromise transportation funding bill has turned out to be highly unpopular with a significant number of drivers across Virginia. While I believe there is room for higher fines or fees on the worst drivers we see on a daily basis on Virginia’s roads, I never believed that these fees would constitute the significant long-term, stable source of dedicated transportation revenue we so badly need.

On May 30, 2007, the Speaker of the House of Delegates appointed Delegate Mark D. Sickles to two joint study committees; the first on childhood obesity in our schools; and the second on potential liability protection for heath care providers responding to a state or local emergency.

April showers brought May flowers as well as nearly 100 supporters to the 2007 campaign kickoff of Delegate Mark Sickles at the home of long time friend and supporter Susie Warner on Sunday, May 6. The showers on Saturday left Sunday pleasant and sunny as supporters, volunteers, and elected officials gathered to help Delegate Sickles kickoff his second reelection campaign.

From the Fairfax County Times:

Del. Mark Sickles (D-43rd) said a couple of initiatives would help the boarding house issue. "On the overcrowding issue, the fine was $1,000. We increased the fine to $2,500 for violations."

Sickles said the possibility of jail time does not sit well with the state legislature, "but," he said, "maybe we can get back on that.

"We need to, in my opinion, hire more zoning enforcement people to stay on these cases and stay on them until they're resolved. It's going to take a long-term, dedicated approach," Sickles said.

Many important bills were sent to the Governor over the recent 46-day session. Under the Virginia system, Governor Kaine has the ability to offer amendments, or re-write entire bills, subject to a simple majority vote six weeks after adjournment at the “reconvened session” or “veto session,” which falls on April 4th. If either the House or Senate reject the recommendations, the bill is returned to the Governor to either sign into law, or to veto. A two-thirds majority in each body is required to override a veto, an unlikely occurrence.

Joining Mark were his guests, Virginia Senator Toddy Puller, Supervisor Dana Kauffman, Congressman Jim Moran, Board Chairman Gerry Connolly, representatives from Governor Kaine's administration (Larry Roberts and Doug Koelemay), US Senator Jim Webb AND over 230 interested citizens!

The short session is reaching its halfway mark as I write this note about three issues being debated in Richmond: transportation, biotechnology and stem cell research, and electricity re-regulation.

Yesterday, the U.S. Army announced a “preferred site plan” for the re-location of 22,000 government jobs to Ft. Belvoir and the Engineer Proving Ground (EPG) in Springfield. Under the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) rules, the plan is to be implemented by 2011, a monumental undertaking.

Less than twelve hours before the start of the new fiscal year, Governor Kaine signed into law the new FY2007-08 two-year budget. This is the second two-year budget in a row that could not be developed and approved within the time limits spelled out in the Virginia Constitution. It sets a disappointing new record that will hopefully not be repeated two years hence, and turns the concept of a part-time citizen legislature on its head.

After July 1, 2006, new clean special fuel and hybrid vehicles will no longer be allowed to use the HOV-3 lanes on I-95/395 without the requisite three passengers. Existing hybrid vehicles, however, will be allowed to continue using these HOV lanes for one more year (until July 1, 2007), unless further changes are made by the General Assembly in next winter’s session. These changes, in combination with increased law enforcement, are intended to reduce the building congestion in HOV lanes.