Posted on 01/04/2012 6:25:37 AM PST by Gopher Broke
When the General Assembly returns to town all eyes focus on the state budget. Despite media-driven perceptions that the legislature obsesses over "controversial" social issues, economic issues dominate every legislative session, and 2012 will be no exception. Given the new Senate configuration, however, members will be expected to multitask and address other issues that were on the minds of many Virginians when they voted in November. Representing tens of thousands of those voters, The Family Foundation will have several legislative priorities we hope will find success.
The first indicator of whether change has come to the state Senate will occur on opening day, when committees are formed and rules adopted. For many years the Senate, under both Republican and Democrat control, protected moderates from having to vote on many bills by blocking them in the Education and Health Committee. To further ensure that all pro-life bills would die, a rule was created that any bill related to "pregnancy" must be heard by the Education and Health Committee, even if it was more appropriate for the bill to be heard in Courts of Justice or another committee.
(Excerpt) Read more at 2.timesdispatch.com ...
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