Mud, since the Virginia General Assembly is convening January 8, would you mind using your Virginia ping list and let's get everyone aware of pending legislation via this thread? Muchisimas gracias por todo.
Bills and Resolutions:
http://leg1.state.va.us/031/bil.htm
(hundreds, if not thousands of them!)
4 N.Va. Delegates Make Strong Push to Right
Outer-Suburb Republicans Generate High Bill Volume
By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 3, 2003; Page B05
RICHMOND, Jan. 2 -- Four members of the House of Delegates from Northern Virginia's outer suburbs are aggressively pursuing an agenda for the upcoming General Assembly session that includes further restrictions on abortion, lower taxes, easier and cheaper access to concealed weapon permits and changes in transportation financing. [bravo!]
The four Republican delegates -- Mark L. Cole of Fredericksburg, Richard H. Black of Loudoun County and Robert G. Marshall and L. Scott Lingamfelter of Prince William County -- are the chief patrons of about one-fourth of the bills filed so far by the 100 House members. The deadline for filing bills is still two weeks away, and all four delegates say they are busy printing more legislation. [conservatives working to roll back decades of liberal excess...]
~ snip ~
The four lawmakers, two veterans and two relative newcomers, represent the surge in conservatism in Virginia's legislature. The GOP took control of both chambers in 1999 and has steadily added to its ranks since. [and they've done it by pursuing an unapoligetically conservative agenda] In special elections last year to fill vacancies in the 40-member Senate, Northern Virginia replaced a moderate Republican and a Democrat with two conservative Republicans. [pinching myself...]
~ snip ~
But Moran acknowledged that Democrats are outnumbered in the House, where Republicans and independents who caucus with them hold an edge of 66 to 34. Abortion restrictions and gun rights legislation have passed easily in the House. The Senate has been less friendly to such bills in recent years.
"The House over the last few years has become very receptive to a conservative social agenda," Moran said. "We would hope the Senate would use good judgment." [wiping smirk off my face...]
Republicans say the Senate elections of Ken Cuccinelli and James K. "Jay" O'Brien Jr. of Fairfax give the GOP agenda the edge there as well. [Finally!]
~ snip ~
Lots more Dem gnashing of teeth here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3524-2003Jan2.htmlHowdy Old Dominion FReepers...while we must remain vigilant in following the National legislation, I hope y'all are keeping abreast of the pending State legislation as well. We're blessed with a great House lineup of true conservatives who will be pressing the MilquetoastModerates in the Senate and our RAT Guv'nuh to pass some excellent legislation!!
Please check out ligeia's post #23 fer some details and be confident in the knowledge that your voices do matter to these State reps, so let's not be shy in telling them what we think!!
Virginia can lead the way in peeling back years of unnecessary BigGuv'mentLargesse so let's not allow the State Senate to hold up what we know must be done. The VA Senate RINOs need to know that we are watching their efforts to stall legislation, and we'll remember their recalcitrance in November of this year!!
Old Dominion FReegards...MUD