Senator Creigh Deeds

Proudly Serving the People of Virginia's 25th District

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One More Day

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With the legislature wrapping up the 2016 Regular Session of the General Assembly in a day or so, I wanted to provide a status report.

Budget

The budget deal has been reported in most of the major newspapers. It includes a three percent pay raise for state employees and faculty at our institutions of higher learning, as well as a two percent raise for teachers and other state-supported local employees. The budget deal also includes about $190 million to bulk up the Virginia Retirement System. You will recall that contributions were reduced during the recession. This action will allow us to restore those funds about six years ahead of time. The increases in teacher pay are a part of a $900 million increase in K-12 spending by the state.  [Read more…]

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Our Judiciary

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One of the most important responsibilities of the General Assembly is the election of judges. After all, judges represent the Commonwealth and the whole notion of justice in the court and the community. People need to know that they are going to have an equal shot at justice in every court. I came down here this year with a couple of priorities with respect to judges.  [Read more…]

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Another Week Down

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We are rapidly approaching the midpoint of the 2016 General Assembly Session. In legislative lingo, the midpoint is called the crossover, that period when Senate bills crossover to the House of Delegates and House bills crossover to the Senate.

To this point, much of the work has been handled by committees that meet around the clock. My committees shifted some this year. I am no longer on the General Laws and Technology and the Rehabilitation and Social Services Committees, but I was appointed to the Courts of Justice Committee. Courts meets twice a week and handles a large volume of bills. I continue to serve on the Privileges and Elections and Transportation Committees.

The problem has been that on Wednesdays, Courts typically meets all afternoon. In fact, one week we did not complete work until after 9:00 p.m. Transportation meets the same afternoon. As a result, I miss the work of the Transportation Committee. I am not the only member with such a conflict. I carefully review the docket and materials sent to me and leave a proxy with another member to ensure my voice counts on those bills.

Current Issues in the General Assembly

Aside from the topics I’ve covered in past updates, I have been actively working on a number of issues in the Virginia General Assembly:

Recognizing conservation officers

For many years in an effort to recognize the work of conservation officers at the Department of Conservation and Recreation, I’ve tried to increase retirement benefits and give them parity with similarly situated state employees. This year I introduced legislation to accomplish this goal again. The bill was carried over to 2017.

Statue of Limitations for prosecution of sexual misdemeanors involving children

I sponsored legislation for the third year in a row to lengthen the statute of limitations for prosecutions of misdemeanors of a sexual nature involving children to a year past the 18th birthday of the child victim. Typically, statutes of limitations on misdemeanors are a year from the date of the offense. This year, after receiving scrutiny and support from the State Crime Commission during the interim, the bill will pass.

State Park in Highland County

Another project of several years has been to organize and develop a state park in Highland County. I once again introduced a budget amendment to accomplish this goal. This year might be the right year since the Governor included a bond package in his introduced spending plan. However, there are rumblings about long-term revenue projections of our budget. The bond itself is in some jeopardy. Last week I had a chance to make my case for a state park in Highland County, and I will continue to press the issue.

Tax credit for farmers who donate to food banks

I am privileged to work with First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe and Delegate Ben Cline of Rockbridge County to carry important legislation this year to create a tax credit for farmers who donate food crops to food banks. This could help stock food banks at a time when they are having to adjust for the increasing costs of food and declining federal subsidies, in addition to helping local farmers.

Loan forgiveness for public mental health workers

The work of the Mental Health Joint Subcommittee goes on through the end of 2017, and our major work is still ahead of us. However, this year, I introduced a bill along with Delegate Joseph Yost of Giles County to create a fund for loan forgiveness. The program is intended to increase the number of individuals seeking to enter this field and also to attract and retain workers within our public mental health system – our local community services boards or the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. The Education and Health Committee passed and referred the bill to the Senate Finance Committee due to the $2.5 million cost associated with the proposal. The bill is scheduled to be heard on Monday afternoon in subcommittee.

“Free fishing days”

This year I worked with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to make “free fishing days,” which the Department uses to encourage people to fish and to learn about Virginia’s diverse fishery, actually free. If Senate Bill 349 passes, streams stocked with trout will be included in these special days.

Addressing the rapid decline of pollinators

People who are familiar with my work know I have been concerned for a number of years about the rapid decline of pollinators. Pollination is critical to the agricultural economy and our food supply. This year I introduced legislation to create a workgroup, including various state agencies and the beekeeping and agricultural communities, to develop a balanced approach and strategies to address the decline. Thus far the various stakeholders have not been able to develop a consensus, and I am hopeful passage of this bill will be a catalyst for results. The bill passed the Senate with unanimous support and is awaiting action in the House of Delegates.

Changing the way judges are selected

I’ve worked on a couple of issues this year involving judgeships. As I referenced several weeks ago, I have introduced measures to increase the judgeships in the 25th Circuit and the 16th Circuit. I have also introduced legislation, again something I have worked on for a long time, to change the way judges are selected from the highly politicized process we have now to one based on merit.

You may track all legislation with the Legislative Information System or at Richmond Sunlight. As I have explained to many people, legislators make the best decision based on the information they have available. Please never assume I have the best information. If you have an idea or input about an issue before the General Assembly, let me hear from you.

It continues to be honor to serve in the Virginia General Assembly. If I may be of assistance or you would like to visit, please contact us at (804) 698-7525 or [email protected].

Best,

Creigh

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Still Talking Judges – We Can Do Better

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The 2016 Session of the General Assembly has now been through its first full week. Days full of work make the time pass quickly. A 60-day session suffers under the misnomer of the “long” session and the odd numbered year 46-day sessions are the “short” sessions. We handle about the same amount of work in each session, with the exception of the consideration of the two year budget during the 60-day session. The Virginia Constitution does not provide for holiday or weekend breaks. So even when the General Assembly does not hold floor sessions, for example on weekends, the time period rolls on.

Likewise, the Session continues during federal holidays, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This past Monday, we celebrated that holiday and welcomed many people who had the day off to the General Assembly. Standing committees met and both houses held a floor session. There were an inordinate number of people trying to navigate the hallways, stairwells and elevators of the General Assembly Building to talk to their legislators. It was a busy day.

This year, as in other years, groups from all over the 25th District and throughout Virginia trekked to Richmond to share ideas with their elected representatives. This past week, during a radio interview I was asked whether anyone coordinated the rallies that occur during the legislative session. Historically, the pro-gun control and the pro-Second Amendment groups come to Richmond on Martin Luther King Day. Another day, the pro-choice and anti-choice people attend; another day the pro-Medicaid expansion and anti-Medicaid expansion attend. I’m not sure that anyone puts these groups together, but I am sure it is no coincidence that both sides of the issue are represented in Richmond at the same time.

It is still early in the session. The primary focus continues to be the budget. This week the Senate Finance Committee held important hearings regarding revenue projections and other fiscal matters. Of particular concern was the discussion on the relative weak growth of Virginia’s economy. As stated before in this space, we face a number of very serious challenges, many of which are brought on by sequestration at the federal level. We all know that the economy will change and that government contracting and direct military spending, which has driven economic growth in Virginia since the end of World War II, will not continue unabated. We have to diversify, and without question there will be growing pains in our economy and in Virginia’s government during that process.

Of note as well this session is the continued discussion revolving around Justice Roush of the Virginia Supreme Court. Many will recall that she was a Fairfax trial judge whom Governor McAuliffe appointed on an interim basis to the Virginia Supreme Court. She was appointed upon the recommendation of Delegate Dave Albo, the Republican Chair of the House Courts of Justice Committee. Unfortunately, her appointment ruffled the feathers of some of the Republican hierarchy. They have objected and are trying to remove her from the bench. Late last week, the Republican leadership was surprised to find that one of their freshman senators, Glen Sturtevant, a Senator from Richmond, was supporting Justice Roush. The discovery delayed for the time being their efforts to unseat her. This story will have to be continued because there does not appear to be any compromise.

Ultimately, part of the problem with putting people on the bench is that partisan politics becomes an issue. Thomas Jefferson, while the Minister to France, wrote an important letter to James Madison. At the time, Madison was developing the Constitution of the United States and had sent a draft to Jefferson. One of the important things in the draft, Jefferson concluded, was the absolute independence of the judiciary. He applauded the lifetime terms which he felt would ensure independence. We don’t have lifetime terms for state court judges in Virginia. Frankly, there needs to be some mechanism to assure the public that those people appointed to the bench are doing their jobs. However, we have to be vigilant that members of the bench are independent; judges should not consider that their position is owed to any segment of the political class. Without that, we cannot ensure there is equal justice for all in our court system.

I have once again sponsored a bill to create a merit based selection process for judges. The bill has not yet been heard.

This is being written as a major storm bears down on Virginia leading the Governor to declare a State of Emergency. I urge all Virginians to be careful, to not travel unless they have to, to stay warm and hydrated, to be mindful of their neighbors, and to care for their pets and animals. Even though the snow may come, I will need to make sure the ice gets broken and the chicken and equine are cared for. I urge caution.

It continues to be my high honor to serve you in the Virginia General Assembly. If I may be of service, do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at
[email protected] or (804) 698-7525. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Creigh

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Over Before it Began

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The 2015 Special Session of the General Assembly was over before it began. The Governor called the legislature into a Special Session to begin on August 17 to respond to a federal ruling on the 3rd Congressional District. Specifically, the court, sitting in the Eastern District of Virginia, found that the 3rd Congressional District constituted unfair “packing” of African American voters thereby minimizing the influence of African American voters in surrounding districts. Theoretically, the flaw in the current redistricting plan which the court identified could be fixed by simply readjusting the lines of the 3rd Congressional District with the surrounding districts. But a simple redistricting session did not occur. [Read more…]

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