Richmond report 30th District

The General Assembly is in its last scheduled week of work. Most of the bills introduced this session have either been passed and sent on to the governor for his review and approval or failed to get the votes necessary for passage. Budgets passed by the House and Senate are also bills. Because there are differences between the House and Senate versions, these measures are being worked on by a conference committee which needs to reach an agreement amongst its members and send a conference report back to the House and Senate for final approval. We will see other bills handled by conference committees this week as well.
The 2010 General Assembly session will likely be remembered for the extremely challenging, at times grim, budget decisions faced by the legislature as Virginia experiences the most serious and sustained revenue reduction in generations. It will also be remembered as Governor Bob McDonnell's first General Assembly session and one where his agenda to create jobs and rejuvenate our economy were well-received.
Gov. McDonnell also is keeping his campaign promises with regard to burdensome regulations that are harmful for Virginia businesses and families. Legislation is headed to his desk that will delay implementation of controversial storm water management regulations. House Bill 1220, which I co-patroned, will also direct the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board to establish an advisory panel to review the regulation and make recommendations on possible revisions, giving the new administration an opportunity for additional input and improvement.
The McDonnell administration and the Department of Conservation and Recreation have also been helpful to work by Senator Edd Houck and your delegate to restore a reasonable set of dam safety standards to existing dams in Virginia. As co-patron of Senate Bill 276, I have engaged with my colleagues, the secretary of natural resources, and the governor's office, to move dam safety regulation to being based on the worst storm we've ever seen instead of the worst storm we have never seen. This policy change will prevent the commonwealth from holding private dam owners to a standard we can't afford ourselves for state-owned dams and is the most progress that we have made on this issue in over six years of work.
While Lake of the Woods has been a visible and vocal proponent of our work, this legislation will help a number of communities in our region and across the commonwealth. I am appreciative that we have a process where legislators working in a bipartisan and bicameral fashion can have their constituents' voice heard, even if it takes a number of years to achieve substantial progress. Working cooperatively with Sen. Houck and the McDonnell administration, significant regulatory reform is occurring.
On a final and lighter note, the 2010 General Assembly session will be remembered for celebrity sightings. Wayne Newton appeared before the House Rules Committee to lobby for tribal recognition for Virginia's Patawomeck Indians. Sissy Spacek visited the Capitol to lobby for film production incentives.