The 2014 session of the Virginia General Assembly began January 9th. At the end of the first week, the House and Senate met for a joint session to participate in the swearing in of the 72nd Governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe. He gave a speech focused on his priorities for the next four years and cited his commitment to work with the legislature to pursue ethics reform, mental health reform and expansion of Medicaid.

For our office, the beginning of the Senate session marks the culmination of months of preparation, committee meetings and work with constituents, civic groups, local governments, businesses, non-profit organizations and others who have an interest in policy issues before the Senate. We have moved our constituent service and legislative office full-time to the Richmond Capitol and our critical committee work vetting legislation begins now.

The 2014 session is the long session and at this writing 2,509 bills have been introduced. The measures introduced cover virtually every topic. Issues that have gained attention include changes in administration of capital punishment; penalties for child sex offenders; domestic violence assistance; penalties for human trafficking; animal protections; expansion of Medicaid; expansion of mental health services; conservation; ethics reform and changes in tax law to eliminate loopholes and outdated exemptions.

In the category of education, one of the biggest debates has been the elimination of certain standards of learning assessments for K-12 students. I voted for legislation to reduce the testing requirements and think it is an advantage in the curriculum to allow more focus on creative problem solving and critical thinking.

My legislation is moving through the process and I am working hard to address issues facing our district and the Commonwealth. Some of the bills that I have patroned or co-patroned include:

• a bill expanding broadband services in rural areas;
• a comprehensive ethics reform bill;
• a bill establishing a procedure to appeal computation of the Composite Index;
• a bill to extend the annexation moratorium statute;
• a bill expanding the category of public employees who may be subject to penalties for misuse of public assets;
• a bill permitting the VA Racing Commission to grant a license for Gold Cup to receive simulcast transmission from Churchill Downs;
• a bill to revise inspection and enforcement under the Uniform Statewide Building Code;
• a bill to increase campaign disclosure transparency and mandate electronic filing;
• a bill to implement reporting by the State Board of Elections of certain list maintenance;
• a bill permitting a Board of Supervisors member to serve on local social services boards;
• a bill to increase the number of circuit, general district and juvenile court judges authorized for the 20th and 26th Judicial Circuits;
• a bill to coordinate days of operation in General District Courts;
• a bill moving primary elections to the third Tuesday in June to improve access to voting locations;
• a bill to increase the Committee on Training membership in the Department of Criminal Justice Services;
• a bill allowing private institutions of higher education to purchase directly from state agency contracts;
• a bill to modernize the definition of communications services to include local, wide area, metropolitan and all other data networks;
• a bill providing maintenance parameters for preservation of the rural road network in Loudoun County;
• a bill amending the personal property tax authority of localities related to phone companies;
• a bill to amend the Procurement Act related to certain term contracts;
• two bills implementing appointments by the Governor;
• a bill making technical corrections to the boundary adjustments in Loudoun County;
• a bill permitting the Frederick County Board of Supervisors to appoint one of its members to the Economic Development Authority;
• a bill to repeal the $64 annual license tax on hybrid vehicles;
• a bill establishing a variable housing allowance for State Police officers;
• a bill clarifying real property in determining the property tax exemption for religious bodies;
• a bill to expand resources allocated to sexual and domestic violence;
• a bill requiring display of a standard decal for vehicles transporting waste kitchen grease;
• a bill authorizing ABC to license sales and tasting of certain spirits at the business site;
• a bill expanding options for localities to dissolve an Economic Development Authority;
• a bill authorizing investor-owned electric utilities to recover costs of new underground distribution facilities, stipulating that no costs shall be allocated to customers in the general service rate class.

The 2014 session is significant because we will craft a new two-year budget that establishes important spending priorities for the next two years. The Senate Finance Committee continues to meet to draft a Senate budget and to hear testimony from stakeholders around the Commonwealth. The working budget draft is one introduced by Governor McDonnell prior to his departure from office. Governor McAuliffe's administration will now propose changes as will the House and Senate. The final proposal will be in the form of a bill that must pass both Houses of the legislature. Virginia's Constitution requires that we have a balanced budget. It is a two-year budget drafted in even years and education is the largest spending category, followed by spending for social programs, transportation and public safety. I have introduced a number of budget amendments to the Governor's original budget and they include:

• a provision to allocate $38 million in each of two years to fund the education Cost of Competing Adjustment;
• a measure extending the 25 percent Northern Virginia salary differential to Area 13 State Police;
• funding for preservation of rural roads in western Loudoun County;
• a provision updating the per pupil amount for the Virginia Preschool Initiative for At-Risk Four-Year-Olds to $7,972;
• an increase in the number of ID and DD waiver slots by 1,000 and 400 slots, respectively, during each year of the biennium;
• a measure to integrate the Commonwealth's electronic procurement and financial accounting systems;
• a grant for historic preservation of the Clermont Farm Slave Quarters in Clarke County;
• a transfer of funding and authority for administering the Medicaid Intellectual Disability home- and community-based waiver program from the Department of Medical Assistance Services to the Department of Behavioral Health Services;
• an amendment to fund construction of the Hazel Building at Lord Fairfax Community College in Warrenton;
• a measure to implement salary compression adjustments for Sheriffs and Regional Jails;
• funding for a 2% salary increase for Sheriffs and certain employees;
• an allocation of $40,202 and $43,857 in successive years for local finance directors' offices and $141,695 each year for salary compression;
• a provision of $60,877 and $66,411 in each year for Commissioners of the Revenue staff and $251,550 each year to address salary compression;
• a measure to provide $565,077 each year for salary compression in Commonwealth's Attorneys offices;
• an amendment to the language related to collection of fees by Commonwealth's Attorneys;
• a provision of $356,980 each year for Assistant Commonwealth's Attorneys career development program;
• funding of $560,724 each year for Clerks of the Circuit Court staff salary compression;
• a measure to provide $52,247 and $56,996 in successive years for local Treasurers' office staff;
• funding to provide $234,133 each year to address salary compression in Treasurer's offices;
• a provision authorizing the Compensation Board to address salary compression compensation for local constitutional offices; and
• a measure to provide $80,000 each year for reimbursements to 16 localities with part time registrars.

We welcome visitors to the Capitol and hope that you will consider visiting as my guest in the Senate. I take your thoughts and opinions seriously and urge you to contact our office any time that you have questions or concerns. I can be reached during the General Assembly session at 804-698-7527, P.O. Box 397, Richmond, VA 23218 or by email at district27@senate.virginia.gov. Also, please visit our website at www.senatorjillvogel.com.