Updates

Here are some updates on various bills that many of you wrote me about or that I patroned:

    HB 1434 would make illegal the possession, sale, gift, distribution or possession with intent to sell, give or distribute synthetic marijuana, sometimes known as Spice.  I was the first member of the General Assembly to introduce legislation to ban synthetic marijuana.  This bill passed the House by a vote of 98-0 and now is in the Senate for consideration.

    HB 2490, which I patroned, would require, in cases of murder or rape on a Virginia college campus, that campus police  notify local police or State Police.  Either the campus police or the victim could then request that local or State Police take over the investigation.  This bill passed unanimously out of a subcommittee of the Militia, Police & Public Safety Committee, but the full committee chose to send a letter to the State Crime Commission to request their review of the bill and to make recommendations regarding campus safety and reporting of serious crimes on campus.

    HB 2527 is the Transportation Bill requested by Governor McDonnell.  I voted for the bill and it passed the House 65-33.  While it's not perfect and relies on debt financing, after 7 sessions in Richmond I am ready to see Transportation issues finally addressed by the General Assembly.  The Governor's plan uses $3 billion in state debt, plus another $1 billion in federal bonds, to fund approximately 900 road, rail and bridge projects across the Commonwealth.  The Senate passed a bill with a few differences from the House bill and they will have to be reconciled before being sent to the Governor. The proposal is a start, rather than a long-term solution to Virginia's monstrous struggle to build and maintain roads.

    HB 2482 generated the most mail and e-mail, probably more than all of the rest of the bills combined.  The bill, proposed by a Delegate from Powhatan, provides new procedures for the impoundment, seizure, return or forfeiture of animals when the owner or custodian is suspected of animal welfare violations.  Many felt this bill would water-down the animal rights protection already set in Virginia's law and protested vigorously.  The patron of the bill withdrew the bill, for further study. 

    HB 1465 would prohibit illegal immigrants who are unlawfully present in the United States from admission to public institutions of higher education in Virginia.  I supported this bill, which passed the House 75-24, because a Virginia student should never be bumped for an admission slot by an undocumented student, even if they are paying out-of-state tuition rates.

    HB 1441 would cap the rate of interest that may be charged on motor vehicle title loans, payday loans, and open-end credit plans at 36 percent per year.   The primary argument is that high interest traps the poor and those with bad credit into spirals of debt.  This bill was defeated in a subcommittee of the Committee on Commerce and Labor.  I do not serve on that committee.

    HB 2456 would provide for the privatization of government ABC stores.  The Governor made the privatization of liquor stores one of the legislative goals of his administration, but the Republican leadership in the House never had the bill called up in committee for consideration.