Legislation Starts to Move & Speaking Out on U.S. 1  

The General Assembly completed its first full week of work this week.

First, two of my bills have been passed by the House Courts of Justice Committee and are heading to the floor of the House of Delegates. One clarifies when an appellate court must calculate interest on remand of an appeal. A second bill makes it clear that a Power of Attorney automatically terminates when unmarried parents file for child custody or visitation or separated spouses file for support.

This week, I also presented a bill to adjust Virginia’s threshold between misdemeanor and felony offenses from $200 to $500. Virginia’s limit is the lowest in the United States and has not been adjusted since 1981. The value of $200 from 1981 is $549 today according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Governor McDonnell carried the bill when he was a Delegate. Attorney General Cucinnelli and the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys supported my bill for a number of reasons. The only opponents were Virginia retailers like Target and Walmart. The bill received one vote on committee. Richmond may be the only place where a Republican Governor, Republican Attorney General, the state prosecutors’ association, and a Democratic State Delegate can stand before a committee on a criminal justice bill and only get one vote. I will be filing it again next year.

I also presented legislation to block Governor McDonnell’s proposal to limit childcare subsidies in Fairfax County. Studies have shown that the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area has the highest childcare expenses in the United States - $18,000 per year for an infant. Fairfax County does not limit the length of time a parent can receive subsidies because our costs are so much higher than the rest of the state. We also provide local funds on top of state subsidies unlike any other locality in Virginia. My legislation was tabled on a party-line vote.

Childcare subsidies were created as part of 1990’s welfare reforms to encourage parents to work. I met parents while knocking doors who told me that they were barely able to make ends meet with the subsidies. The state’s action will push many parents in my district back onto welfare because they cannot both work and afford childcare. I am trying to revive the bill.

In the last budget cycle, Virginia cut its payments in half to house state prisoners in Fairfax County jails. Those cuts are being made up with local property tax revenue. I introduced legislation at the request of Fairfax County Sheriff Stan Barry to give Fairfax County the option of increasing the assessment on criminal convictions for courthouse security from $10 to $15 to replace the lost revenues. My legislation was also supported by the Virginia Association of Sheriffs. In some localities without police departments, they were forced to divert law enforcement resources to provide courthouse security. My legislation was killed on a party-line vote.

Finally, I spoke out about Route 1 this week. The Department of Motor Vehicles gave me statistics showing that since January 1, 2009, seven people have been killed and 55 people injured on the seven mile stretch of Route 1 in my district – that’s one death and eight injuries per mile. I think that’s outrageous. Route 1 in Fairfax County is probably the most dangerous stretch of road for pedestrians in Virginia.

On the floor, I spoke about how our lack of transportation funding has prevented any real action on Route 1. The condition of Route 1 affects our commutes, families, traffic, economic development, and jobs. People should be able to walk to the grocery store without having to worry about being injured or killed.  You can watch my speech on my blog, The Dixie Pig, at scottsurovell.blogspot.com.

Please go to my website and respond to my survey. Over 200 households have responded so far! You can also comment on legislation, set up a meeting or request a Capitol tour at http://www.scottsurovell.org/.

Good government requires your involvement so please be in touch or come visit in Richmond so I can best represent you in the General Assembly. It is an honor to serve as your State Delegate.

Last week, I gave a floor speech on the status of new transportation funding and the consequences for us in Northern Virginia. Many of the solutions discussed involve funding options that will never be available to fund U.S. 1 improvements because it is not a road that can be tolled.

Earlier this year, I asked the Departmnent of Motor to get me the number of pedestrian accidents on or near U.S. 1. So far they have only been able to get me the data since January 1, 2009.


I cannot imagine that there is another stretch of road in Virginia that is more dangerous to pedestrians.

I gave this floor speech on last week to bring attention to this and the lack of transportation funding in general.

Here's a list that I've compiled for the founding and closing dates for our area local schools.  Woodlawn Elementary and Groveton Elementary are the oldest followed by Mt. Vernon High School.  There's a great history of Woodlawn Elementary School here.

If you're talking about the actual buildings, I'm pretty sure that Woodlawn Elementary is the oldest in continuous use.  The old Mount Vernon would be second if it were still a school.  I'm pretty sure that either the Bryant Building (originally Groveton High School) or the older part of West Potomac High School (originally Bryant Intermediate) would be next. 



I have some schools here on the bottom that have come and gone through the years including some from a very long time ago.  The Gum Springs School and Springbank School were small black schools that preceded desegregation. 

If you have any of the dates that I'm missing or any corrections, shoot me an email. 

Last Saturday, January 14, 2012, I held a Town Hall Meeting with Senator Toddy Puller and Senator Adam Ebbin.  The introductory statement I gave at the outset is in the video below.



I wrote a short recap of the questions in my weekly column last week which I posted below and Patch also ran an article.


If you were unable to make it and have any questions, please contact me. 

Today, we took up a very controversial bill in Cities, Counties & Towns - the regulation of the height of grass and mowing of weeds.  No, I'm not kidding.

Virginia is a Dillon Rule state.  That means that a locality cannot exercise any power unless the state has expressly authorized it.  Each year, we get a ton of bills that come through from localities asking the state for authority to do different things. 

For example, in my first term, I introduced legislation that would add Fairfax County to the list of counties that could adopt a meals tax by a unanimous vote of the Board of Supervisors instead of referendum.  I also introduced a bill to allow Fairfax County to add a $4 fee to each traffic ticket to pay for an electronic ticket processing system that would eliminate the need for about 10 full-time employees and save the police thousands of man hours.  An Arlington County delegate told me that he had to introduce legislation to allow his locality to issue paychecks twice per month instead of every two weeks.


One of my committee assignments is Cities, Counties & Towns and our subcommittee hears City and Town Charter changes which govern their authority.  We also hear bills to give Cities, Counties & Town the authority to regulate the height of grass and weeds.  This year, our subcommittee voted to the City of Hopewell, the County of Prince George, and the Town of Cincoteague.  Last year we added James City County.  In 2010, it was the City of Winchester, the City of Colonial Heights.

This year, Delegate Jim Lemunyon got tired of doing this every year and introduced legislation to allow any county to regulate grass height if they choose so they don't have to come through us.  I cosponsored his bill. 

Every one of these grass bills requires thousands of hours of government time to push through. 

1. Each locality has a legislative staff that prepares their legislative agenda
2. It is vetted by a local board and delegation
3. The legislation is drafted by the Division of Legislative Services and goes through a series of reviews;
4. Legislation is then introduced and processed by various people;
5. We then consider it in a 7-person subcommittee with staff (and spectators);
6. It's then considered by a 22-person committee with staff (and spectators);
7. It's then considered by the entire 100-member House of Delegates with staff (and spectators);
8. Steps 5-7 are redone by the 40-member State Senate;
9. The Speaker & President Pro Tempore of the Senate signs it;
10. Then the Governor's Office vets the bill before he signs it;
11. Then it has to go to the people who draft the Code of Virginia who need to work it into the official Acts of Assembly and then incorporate it into the Code;
12. Then the Code of Virginia is republished and updates are sent out in paper form all around the state; AND THEN
13. Electronic databases are updated so that every version of the Code everywhere is current.
14. Then and only then, the locality can begin the process of amending its local ordinance which requires a who series of steps. 

All that so each locality can regulate grass height and weeds. 

Delegate Lemunyon's bill would eliminate steps 1 through 13 when it comes to a county's authority to regulate the height of grass and weeds if it chose to do so.  His bill passed our subcommittee 5-4 and died on a 11-10 vote in full committee this morning.  Sometimes the legislature gives you a headace.

New Committees, Redistricting Rockets Through & A Town Hall

On Opening Day, we were notified of our new committee assignments. I was reappointed to the Cities, Counties & Towns and Science and Technology Committees. As the largest jurisdiction in the Commonwealth, it is important that Fairfax County have effective advocates for local government flexibility and to guard against state government siphoning off more local government funds. The Science and Technology Committee will also enable me to continue to work with the fastest growing businesses in Northern Virginia.
Due to my increased seniority, I was also appointed to the Militia, Police & Public Safety Committee. This committee has jurisdiction over gun control laws, traffic offenses, jail and prison policy. I looking forward to being able to use my practical experience in the criminal justice system on the issues we face in committee to help keep our communities safe.

Another highlight Opening Day was a visit from about forty West Potomac High School Band students. We attended the 1812 Bicentennial Concert together and they took a tour of the Capitol. Listening to Tchaikowsky’s 1812 Overture took me back to Junior Year at West Potomac although back then our band director used shot gun blanks shot into oil drums to imitate the cannon shots (I don’t think that’s allowed any more).

As I predicted, minutes after we were sworn in, the Privileges and Elections Committee “met” in the corner of the chamber, passed the latest partisan redistricting bill with little debate, it was put on a supplemental calendar presented to us at the 7:00 p.m. State of the Commonwealth Address, and was “debated” on our second day. We asked for more time so that the public could comment, we could prepare amendments, and the sixteen freshmen could have time to consider the legislation before debating and voting on it, but our request was rejected. The legislation was passed on our third day in session and is now on to the Senate where it will likely be rocketed through and sent to the Governor.

The Constitution of Virginia requires redistricting to be completed in 2011. Many of us view the latest attempt to draw these lines as being an illegal partisan power grab. Upon passage in the Senate and the Governor’s signature, a court will have to decide whether it was proper.

The legislation passed puts my entire delegate seat inside the Eighth Congressional District. The new Eighth Congressional District would include all of Lee District except for Greenspring Precinct and a small part of the Mount Vernon District in the Lorton area. I continue to believe that we should enact nonpartisan redistricting so that the voters pick their elected officials. Elected officials should be divorced from the process of drawing their districts and setting their salaries and benefits.

On Saturday, January 14, fifty people turned out for our Town Hall Meeting. If you would like to watch thirty minutes of opening statements by myself or Senator Puller or Ebbin, you can watch them on my website at www.scottsurovell.org and email your comments to me.

Many constituents expressed concern about the completion of Mulligan Road and the lack of investment in our transportation infrastructure. Several expressed concern about voter suppression legislation such as mandatory voter ID laws, and support for allowing undocumented children to attend state universities so long as they obeyed the law and paid their taxes. We heard from constituents that wanted to help seniors to afford in-home care expenses, admonished us to avoid devolving into Washington D.C. style gridlock, and one constituent urged us to protect against a decline in government services so we can maintain our current quality of life.

We will start to consider legislation this week. I have introduced twenty-eight bills (so far) so I will be very busy. You can see summaries of my legislation on my website.

My constituent survey should have arrived in the mail. The online version is more comprehensive. I would appreciate it if you could complete it at www.scottsurovell.org/survey. Last year, we received over 700 responses.

Please also visit my blog, The Dixie Pig, at scottsurovell.blogspot.com, for more frequent updates. You can also comment on legislation, set up a meeting or request a Capitol tour at www.scottsurovell.org. Good government requires your involvement so please be in touch or come visit in Richmond so I can best represent you in the General Assembly. It is an honor to serve as your State Delegate.

My 2012 Agenda: Transportation, Economic Development, Sunshine & Consumer Protection

On January 11, 2012 at noon, the Virginia General Assembly kicked off the 2012 Session. Last week, I wrote about an overall preview of the session. This week, I am writing about my legislation which you can view online at http://lis.virginia.gov or my website www.scottsurovell.org.

Congestion on U.S. 1, the extension of the Yellow & Blue Lines, and economic development is the top priority for our area. Congestion on Route 1 affects not just our commutes, but economic development, job creation, the neighborhood revitalization, local school performance, the quality of our local environment, and the value of our homes. Route 1 will not be improved until we get a fair share of construction funding.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board (“CTB”) decides which transportation projects to fund in Virginia. Ten of eighteen commissioners represent transportation districts based on 1930 congressional districts, plus a Northern Virginia District added in the 1980’s after they figured out it was time for us to leave the Culpepper District.

Today, 65% of the state’s population has 33% of the votes on the CTB. My legislation requires representation by congressional district. I have introduced this every year since I was elected. This year, two senators and three Republican delegates are copying my bill and introducing similar or identical legislation.

I have a series of bills on government transparency or open government. Virginia is one of fifteen states that does not have electronic or video recording of committee and subcommittee meetings. Most legislative work is done in committee. My bill would require committee business to be done on the record, recorded and put on the internet so that if can be accessible to everyone.

I have introduced bills requiring legislators to disclose any tax credits they claim so voters can connect the dots between votes and personal interests. I’m attempting to adjust gift and contribution deadlines so voters can see most special interest gifts received before an election and the start of session. Today, special interests can give a trip over the summer before an election and it is not disclosed until December 31. Someone can also make a contribution between January 1 and January 11 and it is not reported until April or July. That’s wrong.

The Governor has proposed to limit childcare assistance for low-income families to five years per family. Fairfax County believes this will throw thousands of our families off of childcare assistance. While cutting off families is one way to shorten the 20,000-family waiting list it is an unfair tactic that violates the spirit of the 1990’s welfare reforms which encouraged mothers to work. Childcare readies children for kindergarten and dramatically improves performance in school. Limiting childcare assistance will hurt hundreds of families in the 44th District.

I am re- introducing legislation to authorize Virginia to pay rewards to individuals who whistleblow on tax cheats and new legislation requiring homeowner associations to post their covenants, bylaws and rules on their website so home shoppers can see them without first having to make an offer on a property.

Finally, I am introducing legislation to encourage solar energy, facilitate mental health services at community colleges, streamline voter registration, provide no excuse absentee voting for seniors, protect consumers from predatory towing companies, prohibit the private publication of expunged criminal convictions, and protecting the benefits of our public safety professionals who are disabled in the line of duty.

TOWN HALL THIS SATURDAY, JANUARY 14 AT 10 AM

I hope you can attend my Town Hall Meeting with Senator Toddy Puller at the Mt. Vernon Government Center, 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306 on Saturday, January 14, at 10:00 a.m. You can also fill out my constituent survey at www.scottsurovell.org/survey, email feedback to me at scottsurovell@gmail.com or provide it via my website. You can always read more about my views on issues or what is going on at my blog The Dixie Pig – scottsurovell.blogspot.com – where I have posted over 260 articles over the last two years.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve for another two years. It is an honor to be your state delegate.

A few of her prior classes were covered in the media:

After I was elected, I decided to continue the program and we had six students from West Potomac High School and Mt. Vernon High School participate.  All of them had a great experience and had very memorable experiences and they were also covered by the local media:

Session Preview: Budget Shortfalls, Redistricting, Uranium & Social Issues 

On January 11, the newly-elected Virginia General Assembly convenes for a 60-day, “long” session. I expect it to be a contentious one.
The “money committees” estimate that Virginia faces a $1 billion shortfall due to many factors including the end of federal stimulus dollars, Virginia’s sluggish economy, constitutionally-required contributions to Virginia’s “rainy day fund,” required payments to the Virginia Retirement System because of no payments last year, and inflation. Despite the shortfall, the Governor has proposed several hundred million dollars of new initiatives to be funded with cuts to low-income preschool programs, Northern Virginia teacher salary supplements, other secondary education funds, and health care for children and seniors.

Congressional redistricting will also be an early battle. Redistricting was not completed in 2011 as required by the Virginia Constitution. The legislature’s leadership will likely try to pass new gerrymandered districts which will head to the courts.

The Virginia Retirement System (VRS) is now underfunded by $20 billion. Our entire two-year General Fund Budget is about $35 billion. This results from last session’s failure to make a $690 million contribution to the retirement system, a stagnant stock market and the General Assembly’s failure to follow the VRS’s Trustees’ recommendations in 14 of 16 years. Some legislators believe we should switch to a 401k-style pension. I believe we should continue and fund our existing pension system.

The media has spotlighted legislation to lift Virginia’s uranium mining moratorium which dates from the early 1980s. I am still strongly leaning against lifting the moratorium. I am not convinced that uranium mining can be done safely in Virginia or that the risk of permanently damaging the drinking water source for one-seventh of Virginia’s population is worth creating about 400 jobs in one area of the state.
Finally, with the likely change of party control in the state Senate, from Democratic to Republican, we expect to see a slew of social agenda bills. The first bill already filed in the House of Delegates would give a fetus the rights of a human being. Bills have been filed to allow college professors to carry weapons, authorize unregulated “Made in Virginia” firearms, repeal Virginia’s “one gun a month” purchase limit, increase state law enforcement’s involvement in federal immigration enforcement and limit people’s right to vote. I have a number of bills that I will carry and will discuss in my next column.

Young Leaders Needed
I am seeking applications for the Amundson Institute (formerly Young Leaders Program). Anyone who is a high school junior or senior and lives in the 44th District is eligible. Young Leaders come to Richmond for two days to see how the legislature operates. They meet policymakers, shadow me during committee meetings and floor sessions and present a project on state government. It is a very rewarding experience. Information on the applications and the boundaries of the 44th District are on my website or my blog, http://www.scottsurovell.org/.

The people of my district will soon receive my issues survey. Please return a copy or save a stamp and complete a more comprehensive survey online at www.scottsurovell.org/survey. It is critical that I hear the views and suggestions of the people of the 44th District. You can also always email feedback to me at scottsurovell@gmail.com or provide through my website.  As always, you can also read more about my views and work on your behalf on my blog, “The Dixie Pig” – scottsurovell.blogspot.com – where I have posted over 260 articles over the last two years.

I encourage you to visit me in Richmond to share your concerns and see the legislature in action. Let us know if you are coming and we can schedule a tour of our historic State Capitol. Also, please give me your suggestions for commending resolutions for important community organizations, events or citizens over the coming year.

Town Meeting, Jan. 14
On Saturday, January 14, at 10:00 a.m., I will host a Town Hall Meeting with Senator Toddy Puller and Senator Adam Ebbin at the Mt. Vernon Government Center, 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306 to get your input and questions.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve. It is an honor to be your state delegate.

Some of the most important work we do in the legislature takes place in committee.  Bills are killed, amended, entirely replaced (substituted), or "rolled into" other bills.  Unless you are there, you are left to guess about what was said and why it happened. 

A couple years ago, a fight began raging over whether the General Assembly ought to at least require recorded votes in committee and subcommittee meetings.  Today, recorded votes are the subcommittee are very uncommon.  That issue will continue to bubble.

One issue that I have raised is requiring all of our business to be conducted on the record and we ought to use technology to improve the performance of our Government. 
I am in the courtroom almost every day as part of my law practice.  Court reporters are not required in Virginia and court proceedings are not automatically recorded.  In my first session, I introduced legislation allowing automatic digital recording of all proceedings in all courts.  That legislation was rejected, but Attorney General Cuccinelli wrote an opinion that legislation was not required and a recording system is now being installed in the Fairfax County Courthouse today.

We still lag behind in the General Assembly.  House and Senate floor sessions in Virginia are live streamed and archived on video.  However, Committee and Subcommittee meetings are open to the public, but only if you are there.

According to the National Council of State Legislatures, there are only 14 legislatures in the United States that do not have audio or video live streaming or digital archiving of committee and subcommittee proceedings.   We are one of them.

Last year I introduced legislation requiring committee and subcommittee meetings to be digitally recorded and placed on the internet.  It was tabled in Committee with directions to be studied. 

The House Clerk's Office believes that it will cost approximately $85,000 to purchase the hardware and software necessary to at least provide archived digital recordings of House Commitee proceedings and about $4,500 per year after that for software licensing fees.

This is an insignificant expense compared with the benefit that it would provide to allowing the public to see and hear what goes on when most of the heavy lifting is done in public on legislation.  I am introducing the legislation again and hope that this year, we will have better luck.