Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia E-News – February 21, 2007
COMMENTARY Greatest Show in Virginia Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum A parade of elephants lumbering through the streets of downtown Richmond announced the arrival of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus last week. After several days of glitz, glamour, and show, the circus moved on to the next city. The 140 members of the General Assembly, their staff, and about 800 lobbyists moved into the capital city in early January for the annual legislative session. An extended session like those in recent years does not appear to be necessary. There are no major differences in the budget as those that delayed adjournment in the past. A conference committee is working on a compromise on the transportation issue that is likely to be minimal in its help for Northern Virginia. The 11-person conference committee includes only one Northern Virginian, Delegate Tim Hugo, the only Northern Virginia legislator who did not sign the bipartisan transportation funding plan for the region. For the past several weeks there has been the Greatest Show in Virginia with many triumphs and tragedies. I was able to get a bill to raise Virginia’s minimum wage through the maze of subcommittee and full committee for a full vote of the House. The Republicans were able to prevent a vote on the floor by referring the bill back to committee. Even if the bill had passed, a family of four would continue to be below the federal poverty level when working for the minimum wage. Although there were efforts to put payday lenders out of business, the final bill on the subject that was passed regulates the practice. With a centralized data base of information on loans that are made, it will be possible to limit the number of loans a person receives as well as monitor the activities of lenders. Such information can be used as a basis for future reforms or for disbanding the industry as their practices dictate. I made amendments to the bill to limit the number of loans to try to prevent persons from getting caught up in a cycle of debt while still having access to small loans when needed. There were nearly 50 immigration bills introduced in the state assembly on an issue that is primarily a federal responsibility. One press account referred to these bills as “a grab bag of legislation designed to hound, harass and hassle illegal immigrants.” The problem of course is that the brunt of such laws would be felt by all immigrants regardless of their document status and would turn social service and faith-based organizations into immigration police. I voted against the bills that passed the House and that are likely to be defeated in the Senate. There likewise were dozens of bills intended to impede a woman’s choice of an abortion with these bills also likely to be defeated in the Senate. Hundreds of bills can be classified as “housekeeping” bills. They correct errors from previous lawmaking, clarify language that in practice has proven to be unclear, respond to court decisions, and give employment to many people who try to keep up with the Code. Another sizable group of bills are referred to as local bills because they relate only to a particular municipality or local government in general. Under the Dillon Rule established in a court case decades ago, local governments have only those powers delegated to them by the state government. Fairfax County sought authority for its Human Rights Commission to investigate charges of discrimination based on sexual orientation. For the sixth straight year, a committee turned down the bill that I patroned that would have granted this power. If you would like me to report to your organization on the legislative session, please call my office in the mornings at 703.758.9733 or email kenplum@aol.com. All legislators will be
departing for home this weekend. The legislative halls will be as deserted as the Richmond Coliseum was when the circus left town. ***
ANNOUNCEMENTS A Web site to help residents find counseling, affordable housing, elder care, food assistance, and other services throughout the Washington area, www.21metrodc.org, has been launched. Users can search 10,000 programs and 4,000 human services organizations, which have agreed to share information in a database that is updated monthly. Free tree seedlings are available for spring planting. Request your free seedlings from Fairfax ReLeaf for planting this spring on public areas throughout the county. This year’s goal is to plant 2007 seedlings on common areas at schools, religious institutions, homeowners association common grounds, parks, stormwater areas, and on Virginia Department of Transportation rights of way. The tree seedlings are not for planting on private residential property unless by a streambed for a riparian stream buffer. To apply for the seedlings go to the Fairfax Releaf Web site at www.fairfaxreleaf.org, send an email to trees@fairfaxreleaf.org, or call 703.324.1409, TTY 711. Virginians considering long-term care insurance coverage for themselves or their parents now have a useful new guide from the State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance. Consumers can request free individual copies of the Virginia Long-Term Care Insurance Rate Guide, as well as A Shoppers Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance by calling the Bureau of Insurance toll-free at 1.877.310.6560. Consumers who are hearing or speech impaired may call through the SCC’s Telecommunications Device for the Deaf and hard of hearing (TDD) at 804.371.9206. Consumers may also find the Virginia Long-Term Care Insurance Rate Guide and additional information about long-term care insurance on the Bureau’s website at www.scc.virginia.gov/division/boi. It’s time for the 2007 Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District Seedling Sale. This year’s package is called Winter is Our Season and will have a total of 16 bare-root seedlings featuring: 2 Red Osier Dogwood shrubs, 2 Button Bush shrubs, 2 River birch trees, 2 White Oak trees, 4 Christmas fern groundcover, and 4 Winterberry holly shrubs. The cost is $17.95 per package. All of the seedlings are native and suited for planting in the Greater Washington, D.C. Metro area. For more information or to order your seedlings, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/seedlingsale.htm. Attend the EcoSavvy Gardening Symposium on Saturday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Green Spring Gardens Park. Your hosts will be the Green Spring Master Gardeners. Topics include backyard habitats, rain gardens, fighting extinction with native plants, and an ecological approach to landscape design. Cost is $45 plus $10 for lunch. For information and to rsvp by February 17, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp/ecosymposium.htm. In celebration of Black History Month, an exhibit of photos, festival programs, and newspaper articles about Reston Black Focus will be on display through February at the Reston Museum. Reston Black Focus was started in 1969 by a group of black Restonians interested in encouraging participation in Reston, and to sustain black culture and history in the community. Reston Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, noon until 5:00 p.m. Call 703.709.7700 for more information. Attend a talk and book signing by David Price, author of Love and Death in Jamestown, on March 11, 2:00 p.m., at the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center, 10209 Main Street, Fairfax. The program is free and includes light refreshments. Call 703.385.8414 for additional information.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a public hearing about a proposed amendment for transit-oriented development on Monday, March 12, at 5:00 p.m. in the Board Auditorium, Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. Copies of the staff report on the proposed amendment may be obtained from the Department of Planning th and Zoning, 7 Floor, Herrity Building, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, or by visiting www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/comprehensiveplan/planamendments.htm. Questions regarding this proposed amendment may be directed to the Department of Planning and zoning at 703.324.1210, TTY 711. Attend a symposium on American Social History and Material Culture – “We Are All Well: Healing and Healthcare in Early America” – on March 9, 2007, at George Mason University. Cost is $65.00; advance registration is required and must be received by February 28. To register, email resources@fairfaxcounty.gov or phone Museum Collections at 703.631.1429. Our own Reston Community Orchestra will perform in concert on Sunday, March 11, 4:00 p.m. at the Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods. Maestro Dingwall Fleary will conduct the program, “Joys of Childhood,” featuring Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 1, Debussy’s Children’s Corner Suite, and a special treat, Pee Wee the Piccolo,” with a surprise youth soloist. The event is free and perfect for an evening of family fun. The Thirteenth Annual Virginia Festival of the Book will be held in Charlottesville March 22-25, 2007. Mostly free literary events will include readings, panels, and discussions with authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals. For more information visit www.vabook.org. Mark your calendar for March 31 for the Great Potomac Watershed Cleanup. You need only to be able-bodied and willing to help with this great cause. To sign up and get more information, go to www.potomaccleanup.org or call 301.292.6665. The Annual Environment Virginia Conference will be held at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, April 10-12, 2007. Visit www.environmentva.org for more information. The Reston Community Orchestra will hold its Second Annual Tea Dance Benefit on Sunday, April 22, 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. featuring elegant dining, dancing, and music. Musical guests will include the South Lakes and Langston Hughes jazz bands. Call 703.860.0108 for more details about this special event. The Virginia Society for Human Resource Management State Council invites you to attend a Statewide st Forum, “Accelerating Virginia’s Workforce Readiness to Ensure Competitive Advantage in the 21 Century,” on Thursday, April 26, 10:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Richmond Convention Center. For more information and to register, please go to www.shrmva.org/ConferenceWorkforceReadiness.htm. The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce has scheduled “Taste of theTown 2007” for June 16 at the Reston Town Center. To celebrate, the chamber has unveiled www.restontaste.com, the new online home of Taste of the Town and your direct link to all things Taste related. ***************** Authorized and paid for by Kenneth R. Plum. Unsubscribe to this newsletter by emailing kenplum@aol.com and indicating “unsubscribe” in the subject line.