Politics & Government

Legislators Offer Outlook on 2012 Session

As the 60-day legislative session enters its second week, here are perspectives from lawmakers at the state Capitol.

By Amir Vera
Capital News Service

 

Legislators from communities in Prince William County and along the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers will play key roles in determining how the General Assembly crafts a state budget and addresses transportation and other issues during its 2012 session.

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The area’s three senators and three delegates include both Republicans and Democrats. But they have some common goals for Northern Virginia: to reduce traffic congestion, improve education and boost economic development.

As the 60-day legislative session enters its second week, here are perspectives from lawmakers at the state Capitol.

Find out what's happening in Woodbridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Sen. Charles Colgan, D-Manassas

Colgan serves as president pro tempore of the Senate. He represents the 29th Senate District, which includes the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park and part of Prince William County.

Colgan said the state budget is the primary concern this session. Virginia operates on a two-year budget. The General Assembly must devise a revenue and spending plan for the biennium that begins July 1.

Colgan predicts that the 2012-14 budget will increase funding for transportation.

“We want to improve the transportation system so people can get home,” he said. “When they spend so much time on the road, they have to take that time away from their family. They’re not home with their family or with their children. Instead, they’re sitting in their car in traffic jams. So that’s why we need the money to build those roads – to free up this traffic system.”

Sen. Linda ‘Toddy’ Puller, D-Mount Vernon

Puller represents the 36th Senate District, which includes parts of Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford counties as well as the Marine Corps Base Quantico.

She is sponsoring two proposals, Senate Bill 134 and SB 139, that would require counties to create separate county voting precincts for any locality entirely surrounded by a combination of military bases and water.

Puller expects energy policy, particularly uranium mining, to be a major focus this session.

“I think uranium mining might be one of the hot topics because there is a part of the state of Virginia where they have found a huge deposit of uranium – possibly the biggest in the U.S.,” Puller said.

“The people that own the property where the uranium is would like to mine it, and right now you’re not allowed to mine it – at least in the state of Virginia. I don’t know what’s going to happen on it, but it’s a very hot topic.”

Delegate Richard Anderson, R-Woodbridge

Anderson, whose 51st House District includes part of Prince William County, hopes to relieve traffic gridlock and make it easier for military personnel to vote.

“I am passionate about transportation because we have to somehow find a way to reduce this congestion,” he said. “We’ll never completely fix it to where every road you’ll drive on, you can drive the posted speed limit in the congested areas like Northern Virginia and Tidewater. But we’ve just got to do better.

“It affects workers, it affects businesses, and I’ve lived in it and felt it and experienced it. So therefore, I have strong feelings about it. We’ve got to be more aggressive in resolving the transportation problems.”

Anderson also is the chief sponsor of HB 1057, which would allow military personnel stationed overseas to register to vote electronically.

Delegate Luke Torian, D-Dumfries

Torian represents the 52nd House District, which includes part of Prince William County. Education and economic development will get most of his attention this session.

“Those are the big two for me right now,” Torian said.

“You have to have a strong education system if you want to be able to recruit and encourage businesses and corporations to come to your county. And obviously, given the state of the economy over the last few years, economic growth and development and job creation is very important.”


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