Senator Creigh Deeds

Proudly Serving the People of Virginia's 25th District

  • Welcome
  • About
  • Priorities
  • Constituents
  • Accomplishments
  • Updates
    • 2021 General Assembly Session
    • 2020 General Assembly Session
    • 2019 General Assembly Session
    • 2018 General Assembly Session
    • 2017 General Assembly Session
    • 2016 General Assembly Session
    • 2015 General Assembly Session
    • 2014 General Assembly Session
    • 2013 General Assembly Session
  • Contact

One More Week to Go

February 20, 2015 by Creigh Deeds

With a week to go until the scheduled February 28 adjournment, the Virginia General Assembly is moving steadily along. From what I hear, few areas of controversy remain in the budget deliberations. I still think it is possible, though not as likely as I previously thought, that we adjourn a day or two early.

In past columns I wrote about measures the Senate adopted to fund pay increases for state troopers and sheriff deputies. The legislation was unique in that it included a revenue source to address the issue of salary compression. Some supervisors make less than those they supervise, and troopers who are being hired might earn more than some who have been on the job for years. As I thought, the House of Delegates may not be as receptive to the idea of a dedicated source of funding to address the issue. Rather, the House is coming up with money from other general fund sources to address salary issues for all state employees. Without question, the issue of salary compression is not unique to state police, and I am hopeful the budget conferees develop a compromise compensation package that recognizes the hard work and dedication of our public workforce.

My mental health bills have run into trouble in the House of Delegates. Over the past 15 months, I have been dedicated to raising standards for mental health treatment and for ensuring that quality treatment is available in every corner of the Commonwealth. Last year, Delegate Rob Bell and I introduced bills requiring DBHDS to study the requirements for emergency evaluators, including qualifications, training standards and oversight and to make recommendations to improve the safety of the individual subject to emergency custody orders and the public. The bills I introduced this year, Senate Bills 1408, 1409, and 1410, encompass the recommendations included in the report issued on December 1 in response to that directive.  All three were designed to improve standards for those who perform the evaluations and ensure that DBHDS has the tools they need to pursue quality across the Commonwealth.

Nevertheless, the bills have stalled in the House of Delegates amid fears about the cost of legislation and concerns raised by change resistant community services boards. DBHDS is the state agency that contracts with and oversees our CSBs, and I trust the judgment of DBHDS professionals to determine what standards should be in place for emergency evaluators. Not to be deterred, I am looking for other routes to continue to make these measures law and improve the quality of care of individuals in crisis situations.

It should be noted that work of the Joint Subcommittee to Study Mental Health Services in the 21st Century, which I chair, continues. The evaluation piece of mental health services is but a small, albeit important, piece of the puzzle.

Other legislation I have carried relating to mental health has met with more success. The Senate and House of Delegates have passed bills to require hospitals and facilities to update the psychiatric bed registry as soon as bed availability changes and to improve the transportation options available in crisis situations. A third bill sought to improve law enforcement access to information about past history of involuntary commitment should be voted on by the House early next week. When responding to emergency, life or death situations, this information can be very useful to law enforcement in responding to the scene. All three bills were recommended by the Governor’s Mental Health Task Force and subsequently vetted by the Joint Subcommittee.

Of interest to some, a bill that failed this morning was one that would have reduced the food to mixed beverage ratio in restaurants. The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control enforcement of the ratio has been inconsistent. At present, the ratio does not even include beer or wine sales. In my view, the issue needs more study and is not ripe for consideration at this point.

Many people have contacted my office about issues associated with the proposed natural gas pipeline that would cross the Counties of Highland, Augusta, and Nelson, as well as other bills related to Dominion. Senator Emmett Hanger sponsored legislation, which I co-sponsored, to repeal the 2004 law that grants natural gas companies the ability to survey land, over landowner objections, for a proposed pipeline. That legislation was not successful. Frankly, I was not surprised by the outcome, but not for the reasons many people suspect. The Constitution prohibits the General Assembly from taking up issues regarding private controversies, and tied to that provision is a tradition of the legislature not to consider bills that may affect pending litigation. There have been a number of suits filed in both state and federal court regarding the pipeline and the underlying issue of the bills, the right to survey. I remain convinced that the 2004 legislation is unconstitutional, but I was not surprised that the legislation stalled in light of the litigation.

Legislation pursued by Dominion to remove oversight of their profit for eight years in exchange for a five year partial rate freeze has passed and is on the Governor’s desk awaiting action. I voted against the legislation because, looking at the recent past and the current earnings of Dominion and American Electric Power, the two utilities affected by the bill, there is a significant indication that ratepayers are entitled to hundreds of millions of dollars in refunds. While it is true that it would likely only amount to a few dollars per customer, that is still a significant issue.

Energy is an issue that we all have to think about very carefully. The past few days have seen record cold throughout the Commonwealth. We must have a consistent and sustainable supply of electric power to provide the heat necessary on these cold days. It gives one pause and ought to cause us all to reflect on the discussions regarding energy production.

The end is in sight of the 2015 Session of the General Assembly. I will soon be home and back at work in my law practice. If I can be of service to you in any way, please send me an email at [email protected] . If you prefer to send a letter or call, I can be reached at PO Box 396, Richmond, VA 23218 or (804) 698-7525 through February 28. After adjournment, my legislative office can be reached at PO Box 5462, Charlottesville, VA  22905 or (434) 296-5491.

Best,

Creigh

Share

Filed Under: Virginia General Assembly 2015 Tagged With: mental health policy, power company regulation, State employee compensation

Constituent Hotline

Call (833) 617-1821 to share your views on a bill.

2021 Virginia General Assembly

2021 Session Preview

December 30, 2020 By Creigh Deeds

As 2020 is draws to a close, I cannot help but reflect on the unusual nature of this year as we prepare for the 2021 Session. From a legislative perspective, the regular session lasted 65 days, and we convened again in August for a 84-day special session. Of course, the General Assembly did not meet […]

Important Upcoming Dates

December 30, 2020 By Creigh Deeds

  • Budget hearings on January 6
  • January 13 is the first day of the 2021 Session
  • January 15 is the Senate budget amendment deadline
Share

Join Our Email List

Email:

2020 Virginia General Assembly

The Special Session Continues

September 14, 2020

We knew back in April that we would need to return to Richmond for a special session to address budgetary issues. The pandemic dramatically reduced the amount of revenue flowing into Virginia’s tax coffers. We experienced a $2.7 billion budget shortfall and have seen nearly every aspect of state government impacted by the pandemic. Budgetary matters, for the most part have yet to be considered. The first few weeks of this special session has been consumed by other issues, such as the eviction crisis and utility bills, and by criminal justice reform. [Read More…]

Share

More Newsletters from the 2020 Session of the Virginia General Assembly

Virginia General Assembly 2019

Major Accomplishments in Richmond This Week!

The General Assembly returned to Richmond on April 3 for our 2019 reconvened session to consider gubernatorial vetoes and amendments. The governor has 30 days from the adjournment of the regular session to sign, veto, or offer amendments to legislation. The authority of Virginia’s governor to amend legislation is atypical compared to the president and many other governors. This power provides an opportunity to impact policy in a significant way. [Read More…]

Share

Virginia General Assembly 2015

  • Over Before it Began
  • Post Veto Session Report
  • Final Recap of the 2015 Virginia General Assembly Session
  • One More Week to Go
  • Budget Deliberations Begin
  • Busy Days
  • Week Two Update
  • First Week of the 2015 Session of the Virginia General Assembly
  • Industrial Hemp

Paid for and Authorized by Senator R. Creigh Deeds.
Not paid for at taxpayer expense.

Copyright © 2021 R. Creigh Deeds