From the Delegate’s Desk

 Greetings from Virginia’s Capitol Hill.

 Things are moving at a quick pace as we move towards crossover.

On the floor of the House this week, we passed a controversial bill to repeal the requirement that young girls entering the 6^th grade must receive the HPV Vaccine. There has remained the concern about the rush to require this when it had not been tested for young girls under the age of 15. Researchers who have studied it 20 years still have concerns for its effectiveness and safety for children under fifteen. Only California and Virginia have mandated this drug on young girls. In the past five years the Food and Drug Administration has reported over 20,000 cases of adverse reactions. Most were not serious. However, some were severe. Another reason it has been controversial is that it is not a communicable disease. Unlike typhoid, polio, measles, mumps, etc., it is not caught through casual contact. The House members who voted to repeal it as a mandatory drug simply believe that the HPV vaccine should be a decision made by parents of children and their doctor, not government–mandated. Like all bills which go through the House, this will have to pass the Senate and go to the Governor to pass.

One of my bills has passed the House this week: It was an update on Virginia’s Institutional crisis and emergency plan that I carried after the Virginia Tech tragedy. It was just putting into code that colleges and universities would review and conduct a functional exercise and certify the same to the State Department of Emergency Management. The State wants to assure that we keep our students safe.

We received a letter this week from Congressman Morgan Griffith to let us know that the Cedar Bluff Post Office, which was slated to close, will remain open.

I have also been pleased to sponsor a Resolution for the 100^th Anniversary of the Girl Scouts of America.

This Saturday the General Assembly will meet in Williamsburg at the House of Burgesses. This is done every four years. I am looking forward to it. As I sit on those log benches hewn so many years ago, I like to wonder if I am sitting where Patrick Henry or Thomas Jefferson sat. It is such an honor you have afforded me to serve in the oldest continuous governing body in the United States.  

We had several visitors from the 6^th District this week. Billie Taylor, Bennie and Margie Quesinberry, and Helen Beamer stopped by from Carroll County to discuss Farm Bureau issues, as did Archie and Darleyne Atwell, and Patsy Waddle from Smyth County and Eric Crowgey from Wythe County. We also spent time with educators Denise Davis, Kim Aker, and Vic ? of Wythe County, Betty Webb and Thelma Massie of Smyth County, and Trina Crouse, Anita Dalton, and Brenda Collins of Carroll County.  

I do not like to end my news to you on a less-than-happy note but today I must:

Governor McDonnell announced yesterday the following settlement negotiations with our US Dept. of Justice:

     In 2008 the US Department of Justice began investigating Virginia’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This investigation included all five state training centers, as well as community-based services. The Department of Justice submitted a findings letter to Governor McDonnell, concluding that Virginia was not providing the most integrated and appropriate services. Virginia, at that time, began good-faith negotiations to reach an agreement to address the findings.

     “The Settlement agreement reflects Virginia’s long-term goal of improving treatment for intellectually and developmentally disabled Virginian’s,” said Governor McDonnell. “For decades we have said we ought to move to a community-based system for individuals with developmental disabilities and reduce our dependence on state-run training center, the most costly and restrictive form of services available. In fact, when I was a delegate, I patroned legislation to help set the policy to ensure Virginia was providing the most compassionate, least-restrictive, community-based care for these individuals to ensure their highest possible quality of life.”

     Virginia is to provide the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committee Chairmen with a plan to discontinue residential operations at four of Virginia’s training centers. This is in-line with Virginia’s policy of transitioning individuals from institutions to a community-based model of care. The number of training center residents has dropped from 6,000 to about 1,000. Virginia projects to have fewer than 1,000 residents by March 31, 2012, and less than 600 by 2015.

     The plan will include 4,170 new Intellectual Disability (ID) waiver slots over 10 years to transition training center residents to community services, and allow slots for individuals in the community who are on the waiting list for waiver slots. Also, the plan is intends to strengthen quality and risk management systems for community services.

     Closure plans have been established for the for training centers. Southside Virginia Training Center in Petersburg is set to close by June 30, 2014, Northern Virginia Training Center in Fairfax by June 30, 2015, Southwestern Virginia Training Center in Hillsville by June 30, 2018, and Central Virginia Training Center in Lynchburg by June 30, 2020. Southeaster Virginia Training Center in Chesapeake will downsize to 75 beds.

I am very concerned with this announcement. I strongly feel that our Southwest Center is not only a beautiful location. It has been staffed with excellent caregivers. It has provided much more than minimum services. Through the past two decades I have gone to events there and seen the wonderful caring relationships. IT IS HOME for some precious citizens in our Commonwealth. I fear the unknowns for them. Southwest Training Center has provided jobs in our district. It has touched us deeply. My one comfort in this is that we have six years for compliance. That gives us room for Hope that things could change and time to do what we must do in a caring way if this plan remains on target.

As always, please feel free to write, e-mail or call with your concerns and questions and keep us in your prayers.

Delegate Anne B. Crockett-Stark, Sixth District

General Assembly Building – Room 819

P.O. Box 406

Richmond, VA 23219

Phone: (804) 698-1006