Virginia’s 2013 Legislative Session: A Fast Ride

We are back home in Woodbridge after two months in Richmond for the 2013 session of the General Assembly. I am reporting to Prince William residents on what transpired at the Capitol, and I am doing so in my own words and not through a staff filter. 

During the 2013 session, I patroned 13 bills and 10 are now on the governor’s desk for signature. Our legislative package passed with strong bi-partisan support, and a full 77% of my bills will be signed into law. Here’s a sampling:

First, HB (House Bill) 1907, Driving While Texting, puts teeth into Virginia’s distracted driving laws. It elevates texting to a primary offense and beefs up fines to deter these deadly behaviors. A total of 42 delegates from both parties co-patroned my bill, and it passed the House by a large bi-partisan margin. I crafted the bill at the request of three Prince William sisters who lost their brother to a texting driver in 2012.

Second, I patroned HB 1601 as chairman of the Virginia Commission on Civics Education. This bill extended the life of the Commission, a bi-partisan body that has strengthened civics education in public schools across the Commonwealth.

Third, I carried HB 1906 as chairman of the General Assembly Military and Veteran Caucus, which champions legislation on behalf of Virginia’s 830,000 veterans. The bill codifies a program to certify businesses on how to recruit, hire, train, and retain veterans. To date, 400 employers have hired or are hiring 3000+ veterans.

And fourth, I carried HB 2175 with House Majority Leader Kirk Cox to start the process of constructing a Northern Virginia Veterans Care Center. This facility will provide comprehensive nursing and domicile care to veterans. I will work hard to bring this Veterans Care Center to PWC and our 50,000 veterans.

My other six bills are at http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?131+mbr+H210.

After the session concluded, Gov. McDonnell appointed me to the new Virginia Commission on Military Installations and Defense Activities. This 10-person body includes one retired 4-star officer and three 3-star officers, four cabinet secretaries, one senator, and one delegate (me). Its mission is to mitigate the effects of Sequestration on Virginia workers, families, jobs, and businesses. It will also focus on possible Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) rounds in 2015 and 2017. I look forward to tackling this crucial task over the next several years, and I invite Prince William residents to call or email me if they are threatened by Sequestration.

Two other high-visibility issues bear mention.

First, I voted against the highest tax increase in Virginia history, which was in the form of a transportation bill to fund road building and maintenance. I did so after listening to thousands of Prince William residents who asked me to vote against a tax of 3.5% tax on gasoline and 6% on diesel fuel, while increasing taxes on car sales, taxes on goods and services (the sales and use tax), taxes on alternative fuel vehicles, taxes on home sales, and taxes on hotel rooms—all in a down economy marked by sequestration, the threat of significant new federal taxes, the cost of implementing healthcare reform, falling personal and family net worth, and unprecedented fiscal uncertainty. 

Second, I voted on a reform-first approach to our Medicaid system plagued by waste and inefficiency. We will first seek federal approval to reform Virginia’s Medicaid system, before we consider program expansion. Hundreds of thousands of our fellow Virginians rely on Medicaid, and we must first ensure that it is the strong health care safety net that our citizens need. Medicaid reform is the responsible pathway to reasonable Medicaid expansion.

Please call us at your district office (571-264-9983) in Woodbridge if we may assist in any way, at any time, on any matter. My direct email is DelRAnderson@house.virginia.gov. You can reach my legislative assistant, Ryan Galloway, at the same number or at RGalloway@house.virginia.gov. If all else fails and you have an urgent need, call my Woodbridge home at 703-730-1380.  We are here for you—see you around the district!

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Del. Rich Anderson, a retired 30-year Air Force colonel, represents Prince William County’s 51st House District in the Virginia General Assembly. He sits on four standing House committees:  Finance, Transportation, General Laws, and Science and Technology. He serves as a Deputy House Whip and also chairs the General Assembly Military and Veteran Caucus and the Virginia Commission on Civics Education.