E-newsletter Volume 3

Monday, February 09, 2009

Do you think there are 1,840 things wrong with Virginia?  That's how many bills legislators filed for this year's General Assembly session.  Every one of those bills proposes some change to the Code of Virginia, the laws that govern our commonwealth.  Every bill, however, will not become law.
 
If you think the number of bills is particularly high, you may want to know that the total is actually 20% lower than it was in 2007, which was the last 46-day "short session."  In fact, you have to go all the way back to 1995 to find a session where legislators submitted fewer bills than they have for this session.
 
The reason for the reduction is the new House of Delegates policy that limits the number of bills each delegate can submit to 15.  So, while the number of bills submitted by senators this short session actually increased by 8%, the number introduced by delegates declined by 32%.
 
The reduction of bills in the House is especially dramatic.  Every legislative session beginning with 1994 can be tracked online in the Legislative Information System (http://leg1.state.va.us).  The number of bills filed by delegates this year is the lowest of the 16 years for which statistics are available through that site.
 
The total number of bills filed by the 100 members of the House still exceeded the total filed by the 40 senators.  But, these new limits have had the effect they were supposed to have, returning the character of odd-year sessions to what was originally intended by the Constitution of Virginia.  Legislators are now focusing their attentions on making amendments to the biennial budget - especially critical considering the current multi-billion-dollar shortfall - and considering a limited number of bills.
 
So, are there 1,840 things wrong with Virginia?  Of course not.  But, there are a lot of things legislators would like to see changed.  Many of the bills that are considered each session pass unanimously or near-unanimously.  That's because there are often small adjustments that have to be made to the Code and changes that enjoy widespread agreement.  Those bills rarely receive attention in the media, as items on which there is widespread agreement aren't as "newsworthy" as contentious ones.  After all, when was the last time you saw a headline that read, "Everyone Agrees!"
     
Here are three of my bills that recently passed out of the House of Delegates:
 
HB 2141-Infectious Disease; Deemed Consent For Testing: This bill will ensure that law enforcement officers, firefighters, and paramedics/EMTs will be able to obtain a blood test from persons they come in contact with in the course of their official duties when the circumstances of the contact cause the person to be exposed to bodily fluids in a manner that could transmit HIV or Hepatitis B or C.  In essence, this bill would eliminate some definitional problems in the Code and help to protect our emergency personnel while they are working to protect us.
 
HB2135-Recordation Taxes: This bill changes the basis on which recordation taxes are calculated on the transfer of real estate to the stated consideration for the real estate. Under current law the basis is the consideration for the real estate or the value of the real estate, whichever is greater.
 
HB2133-Boards of Equalization; Term Limits: This bill removes the nine-year term limit for members of boards of equalization.
 
You can track the progress of these bills by going to http://legis.virginia.gov/ and typing in the bill number in the bottom left corner.
 
I conducted my first tele-town hall this week that many of you may have participated in.  It was the first of many that I will be doing in the future, and you can read about it by going to http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/education/article/manassas_delegate_holds_tele-town-hall_meeting/29403/.
 
If you'll be visiting Richmond during this year's session, make sure to stop by our office, located in Room 418 of the General Assembly Building.  You can contact us here by sending an e-mail to deljmiller@house.virginia.gov or by sending a letter to me at PO Box 406, Richmond, VA 23218-0406.  Or, if you just want me to know your opinion on a particular issue, you can call on the toll-free Constituent Viewpoint Hotline at 1-800-889-0229.
 
Have a great week, and look for more news from Richmond in this same place next week.
 

Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions, concerns or comments.
 
Sincerely,
Delegate Jackson Miller