End of Session 2010

    This was a challenging year economically, but in many ways, we used the $4.2 billion deficit to find some areas where there was program overlap and waste of resources.  We also asked all agencies to look for cuts across the board, including $5.2 million within the Department of Taxation.  We asked all three branches of government to make cuts.  We cut non-state agencies and in areas that were hard for both Southwest Virginia and for me personally.  This year’s budget situation was the worst that anyone in the General Assembly could remember in the past half century.  For those who feel government has gotten too big, you will be happy to know that the budget we adopted was smaller than the 2008-2010 plan.  It returns Virginia closer to 2006 spending levels.  Governor Bob McDonnell has committed to ending the practice of overestimating future revenues, which can lead to unnecessary increased spending.

Economic Development:

            Jobs and long-term economic development were the main emphasis this year.  We prioritized by putting $50 million into job creation and expansion.  I introduced HB 1298, which will help attract data centers to Southwest Virginia by expanding the exemption from Sales and Use Tax to smaller data center projects that provide at least 25 good-paying jobs in high unemployment areas or enterprise zones.  I also co-sponsored HB 555 with Del. Danny Marshall of Danville.  This bill would make job creation the top priority when awarding economic development grants from the State and will expand the number of jobs eligible for such grants.  

            Del. Terry Kilgore of Scott County and I chief-patroned HB 624, which changes the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit by providing a tax credit of $2,000 per job created and expands eligibility in high unemployment areas and enterprise zones. The legislature passed HB 803, which provides income tax credits for Green Jobs.  In HB 588, we designated a portion of wine liter tax shall be deposited in the Virginia Wine Promotion Fund for tourism.  HB 262 waived the permitting fees for Veterans who establish a small business through the State’s one-stop small business permitting program.

            A bipartisan coalition of Southwest and Southside legislators pushed through legislation that stops Appalachian Power from charging interim rate hikes.

Local Government:

            I sponsored HB 1090 to correct a miscalculation in the Communication and Sales Tax reimbursement from the Commonwealth to Tazewell County.  Tazewell had been receiving less money than it is properly due and this bill rectifies the situation.  I also patroned HB 1206, which will permit a locality to withdraw from a Regional Industrial Facilities Authority with mutual agreement from other member localities.  This allows a locality to refocus its economic development efforts without harming a previously agreed upon regional effort.

Agriculture and Natural Resources:

            I sponsored HB 1088 for the farmers across the rural areas of Virginia.  It re-establishes the Cooperative Coyote Damage Control Program.  This program has helped nearly 200 farmers protect valuable livestock from coyote attacks.  The State will budget $160,000 over the biennium for the program.

Health & Welfare:

            I co-patroned legislation, HB 10, which states that residents of Virginia shall not be required to obtain & maintain individual health insurance policies.  HB 554 extends COBRA health insurance coverage for those who have lost their jobs.  HB 556 authorizes health maintenance organizations to offer and sell to small employers group health care plans for health care services that do not include all of the state-mandated health insurance benefits.  I also supported reinstating Medicaid funding for podiatry and rejected the intrusion of managed care into Medicaid.

Public Safety:

            Keeping to our campaign promises, we have reopened our Safety Rest Areas.  I also carried legislation to permit certain retired law enforcement officers, with up-to-date certification, to have the same concealed carry privileges as active duty officers.

Education:

            For me as an educator, this was the hardest area to make cuts.  In the end, I felt that the schools in the 6th district certainly came out in worse shape than Northern Virginia.  We did, however, take less loss than originally anticipated.  The housing fiasco in Northern Virginia caused by sub-prime mortgages and other factors actually allowed more State money to go north.  This funding is based on the Local Composite Index, the State’s formula for education funding distribution.  In the end, my five area school districts gained back most LCI funding, but we may have to face the same problem next year. 

            I did not feel that we could afford to operate charter schools in our small school systems and I did not vote for them.  I supported the partnership of college laboratory and for virtual learning schools, which will offer more opportunity in rural areas. We have also become more flexible with certain accreditation requirements and reporting to save money. 

            However, I was disappointed that the legislation I worked on last year with The State Board of Education for an Economic and Personal Financial Literacy degree was repealed this year as a budget cut. 

Resolutions:

- HJR 202- Commends Catherine S. Webb, an outstanding speech language pathologist and special education teacher at Narrows Elementary/Middle School in Giles County for being honored as Virginia’s 2010 Teacher of the Year.  This is the second teacher of the year the 6th District has had in my five years.  I am so proud to live in a district where all of the teachers are outstanding.

-HJR 247- Commends the MINDS WIDE OPEN: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts program for its statewide celebration to showcase the many outstanding contributions by women to the arts and culture of the Commonwealth.

-HJR 220- Commends Radford University on its 100th anniversary.

-HJR235- Commends Virginia Tech Head Football Coach Frank Beamer.

            In total, we dealt with 2964 bills on top of the two-year budget.  For now, we have had to set tough priorities. Within those constraints, we were still able to craft a $70 billion balanced budget.  This was accomplished without a major tax increase, which would have further hurt our struggling economy and placed a heavier burden on our working citizens.   

            I hope I have given you a small overview of the good, the bad and the ugly.  If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach me at my district office at 275 West Main Street by phone at 276-227-0247 or by e-mail at delacrockett-stark@house.virginia.gov.