Virginia Senate Republican Caucus

Born at USAF Base, Ruislip, England, July 18, 1955; educated at U.S. Naval Academy (B.S. in Ocean Engineering); President, Davis Boatworks; U.S. Navy (1973-82); member: Methodist Church; Member of House of Delegates: 1992-2001. Member of Senate: 2001-.

Contact Information:

Mailing:
P.O. Box 68008
Virginia Beach, VA 23471

Phone: (757) 671-2250
Fax: (757) 244-7866

Email:
district07@senate.virginia.gov

Website:

Visit His Website

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senators Steve Martin, Fred Quayle, and Jill Vogel
  • GOP Senators Target Health Care – pharmcistselink.com - State Senate Republicans fired their first shot against a federal health care overhaul Monday, getting a key committee's support for legislation declaring that Virginia residents cannot be forced to buy health insurance.

• Senator Harry Blevins
  • Seat Belt Bills Passed by Senate – The Norfolk Virginian-Pilot - The passionate advocacy of Chesapeake Republican Sen. Harry Blevins helped propel out of the Senate on Wednesday his bill to make non-use of seat belts a primary offense.

• Senator Emmett Hanger
  • CCCA’s future uncertain – Staunton News Leader - It's déjà vu for the scores of employees, patients and mental health advocates waiting to learn the fate of the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents.

• Senator Robert Hurt
  • NAACP head to meet with officials on inmate transfer issue – Danville Register Bee - The head of the Pittsylvania County branch of the NAACP will meet with officials from the Virginia Department of Corrections in Chatham next week to discuss the transfer of 1,000 prisoners from Pennsylvania to Green Rock Correctional Center outside Chatham.

• Senator Steve Newman
  • Newman Takes New Step to Block Soering Transfer – The Lynchburg News & Advance ­- Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, is asking the General Assembly to pass a resolution opposing the transfer of convicted murderer Jens Soering to a prison in his native Germany.
  • Committees Certify Bedford Judge – The Lynchburg News & Advance - After some consultation with Del. Lacey Putney and Sen. Steve Newman, two General Assembly committees certified Louis Harrison on Wednesday to be judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Bedford.
  • Panel Hears Testimony on Speed Limit Bill – The Roanoke Times - One small piece of Gov. Bob McDonnell's legislative program is advancing through the General Assembly -- one that will appeal to motorists in a hurry.

• Senator Tommy Norment
  • VA Senate passes bill strengthening seat-belt law – Washington Post “Get There” Blog - The Virginia Senate has passed a bill to allow police to pull over and ticket drivers for not wearing a seat belt.

• Senator Mark Obenshain
  • Senate Committee Vote Kills Obenshain’s Voter ID Bill – whsv.com - On Wednesday, Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) questioned the partisan effort of the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections to act to ensure the continued integrity of the electoral process in Virginia.

• Senator Fred Quayle
  • Virginia may not want OLF, either – This Old State Blog - It's beginning to look as though legislators in the Commonwealth of Virginia may also take action to oppose the Navy's plans to put a practice jet landing field (the much-maligned Outlying Landing Field that many North Carolinians fought so hard in recent years) in the tidewater area of Virginia.
  • Va. Senate backs tougher seat belt law – Richmond Times-Dispatch - Senators also passed a key piece of legislation that could offer an alternative to localities desperate to raise additional revenues amid reduced funding from the state budget.

• Senator Richard Stuart
  • Sheriffs: Restore Cuts in Budget – The Free Lance-Star - Fewer sheriff's deputies in jails and courts, slower emergency response times, elimination of school drug programs, and limited response to traffic accidents could all be a reality under state budget cuts to law enforcement, sheriffs and police chiefs said yesterday.

• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Va. officials upset by report that feds will delay sale of offshore oil leases – The Virginian-Pilot - Some Virginia politicians reacted with dismay Wednesday to reports that the federal Department of the Interior plans to delay drilling off the commonwealth’s coastline for at least a year.

• Senator William Wampler
  • APCo Hit on Rates – Martinsville Bulletin - Some state legislators told the president of Appalachian Power Co. on Wednesday that if the company doesn’t voluntarily reduce the economic hardships caused by its rate increases, “we have no choice but to act,” according to Del. Ward Armstrong, the House minority leader.
  • Delegate Joe Johnson Says BVU Legislation “On Track” – Bristol Herald Courier - Legislation to create an independent Bristol Virginia Utilities authority is “on track” in the General Assembly, Delegate Joe Johnson said Wednesday.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Thomas K. Norment, Jr.
  • Virginia Senate approves ban on drivers talking on cell phone unless using handsfree device – Associated Press - The Virginia Senate has passed a bill to ban talking on a cell phone while driving unless using a hands-free device.  Sen. Thomas Norment's bill passed the Senate 25-15 Monday. It would phase in penalties for drivers who take their hands off the wheel to hold a cell phone.
  • State Senate passes bill that would ban cell phone use while driving – wtkr.com - The Senate has passed a bill banning talking on a cell phone unless you have a hands free device.  Unlike the texting ban, this ban is very enforceable.  It is not unusual to see people talking on their cell phone while driving.
• Senator Mark Obenshain
  • Sale Of ABC Stores Won't Happen This Session – The Associated Press - Legislation to sell state-owned liquor stores and devote the proceeds to transportation won't pass this session.  Sen. Mark Obenshain effectively withdrew his measure Tuesday to divest the state of its Alcoholic Beverage Control stores.
  • States Look to the Bottle; Some Lawmakers Seek to Privatize Liquor Stores, Distribution to Lift Budgets – The Wall Street Journal - States suffering through tough times are reaching for a tonic.  Lawmakers in several states with tight control of liquor sales are considering legislation that would shift the job to private industry, saving money and raising revenue.
  • Senate backs placing gays under anti-bias policy – Richmond Times-Dispatch - The Virginia Senate today passed an anti-discrimination bill that would add sexual orientation to existing anti-discrimination policies in state hiring.
• Senator Ralph Smith
  • General Assembly notebook: Bill on Explore Park advances – The Roanoke Times - The authority that oversees Explore Park would have six months to come up with a plan for using the site under legislation that cleared a state Senate committee Monday.
• Senator Richard Stuart
  • Stuart's wood waste energy bill killed – Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star - A Senate committee has killed Sen. Richard Stuart's bill related to using wood byproducts to create electricity.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Bills to divert funds from offshore drilling to transportation, other sources advance in Va. – The Associated Press - Efforts to divert funds received from possible offshore drilling for oil and gas off Virginia's coast are moving forward in the General Assembly.
• Senator John Watkins
  • Senate advances measure on federal unemployment money – The Virginian-Pilot - Legislation that would make Virginia eligible for $125 million in federal unemployment stimulus dollars advanced out of the Senate on Monday, nearly a year after the legislature rejected a similar proposal.
  • Senate reopens unemployment benefits debate with bill to access stimulus dollars – The Washington Post - It was one of the hottest political topics in Virginia last spring -- and now it's back.  The Virginia Senate today approved a bill that make changes to the commonwealth's unemployment insurance program which would allow the state to access $125 million in federal stimulus money for unemployment benefits.

Article Content

Today, Senate Democrats exercised a partisan power play by using procedural tactics to defeat two bills sponsored by Republican legislators on party-line votes.  The Senate voted to re-refer Senate Bills 601 and 102 to the Committee on Finance with a recommendation that they be carried over for the year.  Senate Bill 601, patroned by Sen. Frank Wagner (R-Virginia Beach), dealt with the allocation of future offshore drilling royalties.  Senate Bill 102, patroned by Sen. Ryan McDougle (R-Hanover), would reverse the years in which the state budget is approved to bring the budgeting process more in line with the term of Virginia’s governors. 

“Today’s actions clearly demonstrate the lack of vision the Senate Democrats have for Virginia,” commented Wagner.  “Bills that were reported from the Finance Committee with bipartisan majorities just last week are being killed in purely partisan fashion without the courtesy of true up or down votes.  Such flip-flopping is no way to govern the Commonwealth.”

Wagner’s bill, which was included in Governor Bob McDonnell’s legislative package, would allocate funds received from future off-shore drilling royalties.  As introduced, the bill would allocate 80% of such royalties to the Transportation Trust Fund.  On Monday, the Senate adopted an amendment that would instead allocate 70% of such royalties to the General Fund and the remaining 30% between localities and the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium.  The vote to adopt the amendment was largely along party lines.

“On Monday, the Democrats voted to change the original purpose of my bill,” Wagner noted.  “While I did not support their amendment, I decided the underlying purpose of the bill was important enough to go forward.  How they could go from turning the bill into something they preferred to outright defeating their own concept is beyond me.

“While the royalties allocated by this legislation are not yet a reality, we need to be prepared when we start receiving them,” Wagner noted.  “Thanks to the recent actions of Senators Warner and Webb, these royalties are closer than ever to being realized.  This legislation served two important purposes – encouraging greater energy independence in America and allocating revenue that would truly help Virginia to build and maintain its infrastructure.  To derail such important legislation for purely partisan ends is not responsible governance.”

Immediately after the Senate’s action on Senate Bill 601, the Senate considered McDougle’s Senate Bill 102.  McDougle’s legislation would alter the timing of Virginia’s budgeting process so that a biennial budget would be adopted in odd-numbered years and revised in even-numbered years.  The lengths of General Assembly sessions would be altered accordingly.  This legislation was introduced by McDougle during the 2009 session also.  It has been considered by the General Assembly as far back as 2005 – when the concept passed unanimously in the Senate.  While the Governor has expressed support for the measure, it was not on his legislative agenda.  The vote to re-refer the bill to Committee was also on a party-line vote with Sen. Chuck Colgan (D – Prince William) crossing the aisle to vote with Republicans against the motion.

“This year is the perfect year to pass this legislation,” McDougle commented.  “The current struggle over the budget has only been exacerbated by the fact that the introduced budget we have before us was written by a Governor who is no longer in office and is based on priorities vastly different from those of our current Governor.  For weeks, we have heard the Senate Democrats call for leadership on the budget.  Yet when given an opportunity to show leadership themselves, the members of the majority party balked.

“This legislation was not partisan, was focused on good governance, and was a recommendation of the Wilder Commission,” noted McDougle.  “There is no reason why a Governor should propose a budget during their last month in office when they will not be present to guide the bill through the General Assembly or to govern within the constraints of the budget they proposed.  That is why I introduced this legislation last year.  And that is why the Senate passed it unanimously in 2005.  I cannot imagine what has changed so drastically in five years that the bill has gone from being unanimously supported to being killed through procedural nuances.”

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Multiple
  • Democrats in Va. Senate vote down two budget-related bills backed by governor – Richmond Times-Dispatch - Senate Democrats are directly challenging Gov. Bob McDonnell over the budget, denying him a bigger say in spending and rejecting as "fantasy" the prospect of reaping cash for roads from offshore drilling.
  • Va. Senate committee approves concealed-guns legislation – The Richmond Times-Dispatch - Virginia's drinking establishments soon may be open for business to a new clientele -- people carrying concealed guns.
  • Lawmakers Green Light Gun Law Bills – NBC29.com - State lawmakers have given the green light for several controversial firearm measures. They are measures that were vetoed in years past. But with a new governor, there is a good chance they will become law.
  • Key Senate committee passes bills to allow concealed guns in Va. Bars – Canadian Business - Gun owners could take concealed guns into more places, including bars, and renew their permits by mail under bills that passed a key Senate committee on Wednesday.
  • State Senate defeats bills on offshore drilling, changing budget timeline – Richmond Times-Dispatch - There were two major setbacks today in the Virginia Senate for Gov. Bob McDonnell, with the Democratic majority defeating legislation endorsing offshore drilling for oil and gas and changing the budget timetable to give McDonnell a freer hand in spending.
• Senator Emmett Hanger
  • State senate passes bill that would require online retailers to charge 5 percent sales tax – wtkr.com - Some Virginia lawmakers want you to pay taxes when you buy online.  They say they want to level the playing field for businesses in Virginia.  With a vote of 14 to 1 the State Senate Finance Committee passed a bill that would require certain online retailers to collect the sales tax on purchases made in the commonwealth.
  • Va. Senate panel OKs move to tax online shopping – The Virginian-Pilot - A Virginia Senate panel clicked "send" on legislation that would require Internet retailers to collect sales tax on in-state transactions by affiliated online merchants.
• Senator Robert Hurt
  • Hurt Sponsors Jobs Bills – ResistNet.com - Vowing to work with Gov. Bob McDonnell and state legislators to promote economic development in Southside Virginia and across the state, State Sen. Robert Hurt has sponsored a major business facility job tax credit bill that is part of McDonnell's legislative package.
• Senator Jeff McWaters
  • Milestone for McWaters – PilotOnline.com - Freshman Sen. Jeff McWaters, R-Virginia Beach, got a small thrill and a round of applause Wednesday when he watched fellow senators pass his first bill out of the chamber.
• Senator Steve Newman
  • Newman sponsors McDonnell education bills – News & Advance - Gov. Bob McDonnell announced legislation Wednesday that would create charter schools and two other new ways to educate children, with Sen. Steve Newman sponsoring them in the Senate.
• Senator Tommy Norment
  • Bill banning cell phones while driving goes to Virginia House – 7Bends - Every day, you look around and see people driving vehicles while on their cell phones, not paying attention. It’s not just a few drivers here or there, but the rule rather than the exception.
• Senator Mark Obenshain
  • Virginia looking at Obenshain’s proposal to privatize liquor stores – 7Bends - Last year, Virginia celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of its state-run liquor stores, called “ABC stores.”  This week, a bill (SB 443) introduced by Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) designed to privatize Virginia’s ABC stores was passed by indefinitely by the Senate Finance Committee to provide more time to work with the Governor to refine the proposal.
  • The slow slog toward school choice – Tertium Quids - Gov. McDonnell and a host of notables gathered yesterday to introduce his package of education reforms. They center on making it somewhat easier to create charter schools in the commonwealth, a remedy for the current, counter-productive, charter law.
  • Bill to Give Voter Rolls to Comm. of Revenue Advances – wsvaonline - A bill introduced by Harrisonburg Senator Mark Obenshain that gives commissioners of the revenue access to voter rolls for determining residency for personal property tax purposes has passed the Senate and will move on to the House of Delegates.
• Senator Frank Ruff, Jr.
  • From the Desk of state Sen. Frank Ruff – The News & Record - As the 2009 session began the news media reported that Chesterfield County Schools would have to layoff about 500 employees if the state didn't give them more money.
• Senator Richard Stuart
  • Bill to raise fees for suits advances – The Free Lance-Star - The Senate Finance Committee has approved Sen. Richard Stuart's bill to increase court fees to raise revenue for sheriff's departments and commonwealth's attorneys.
  • Wood waste bill dies in Senate – Biofuelswatch.com - On a vote of ten to four, the Agriculture, Conservation & Natural Resources committee of the Senate has declined the bill which was suggested for putting a cap on the total number of wood chips & similar lumber waste which power companies were allowed to burn as fuel and add towards their renewable portfolio standard.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Virginia Senate kills bill on offshore-drilling profits – The Virginian-Pilot - The Democratic majority in Virginia's Senate killed for the year legislation from Virginia Beach Republican Sen. Frank Wagner that would dedicate future offshore drilling royalties to the state general fund, a coastal energy research consortium and to localities for transportation fixes.
  • Senate Dems kill Va. gov's proposal to divert offshore drilling royalties to state services – The Washington Examiner - The Virginia Senate on Wednesday killed Gov. Bob McDonnell's proposal to allocate royalties from possible offshore oil and gas drilling to pay for Virginia's government services, calling it a "fantasy."
  • Va. Senate Kills “Royalties for Roads” Legislation – Bearing Drift - Yesterday, there was a heated debate in the Virginia State Senate about legislation that would decide how the Commonwealth would spend the royalties from drilling offshore for oil. SB 601, patroned by Sen. Frank Wagner (R-Virginia Beach), was killed by the Senate in a party line vote and was referred back to committee until next year.
• Senator William Wampler, Jr.
  • Bills would ban discounts on noncovered dental work – The Virginian-Pilot - If you're at the dentist and your insurance won't cover a procedure, you might not get a discount, either.
  • Creative Budgeteer Boosts Va Spaceflight – Spaceports blog - Virginia State Senator William C. Wampler, Jr. (R-Bristol) has offered a state budget amendment to dedicate prospective sales and or corporate income tax revenues that may result from the sale of human spaceflights or commercial spaceflight training in the state to the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA) for operations and educational space flight simulation activities.
  • Bill advances to curb forced dental discounts – The Roanoke Times - Legislation prohibiting dental insurance companies from demanding discounts for procedures not covered by a patient's policy passed in the General Assembly on Wednesday with broad support.

Article Content

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senators Emmett Hanger, Jr. and Jill Vogel
  • Bills Pass to Ease Restrictions on Concealed Weapons – The Pocomoke Public Eye - Two bills that would allow handgun owners to lock weapons in their cars and permit those with concealed carry permits to bring firearms into restaurants were approved in Virginia's Senate on Tuesday.
• Senators Ryan McDougle and Walter Stosch
  • IT authority for governor approved – The Richmond Times-Dispatch - The state Senate is falling in line behind a measure giving the governor a direct say in the state's computer bureaucracy and its stormy relationship with contractor Northrop Grumman.
• Senator Emmett Hanger, Jr.
  • State legislation changes houses – fredericksburg.com - The legislative session marked its halfway point yesterday, with legislators holding floor sessions for hours to handle hundreds of bills before a midnight "crossover" deadline by which each house was to finish its own bills.
  • Virginia Senate approves collecting taxes on online sales – The Virginian-Pilot - A bill that would require global online shopping giants such as Amazon to start collecting and paying Virginia sales taxes won easy Senate passage Tuesday.
• Senator Stephen Newman
  • Legislation seeks to help students succeed – The Daily Times - Gov. Bob McDonnell says charter schools, online educational programs and college partnerships can boost the performance of Virginia's public school students -- especially those at risk or in underperforming districts.
• Senator Mark Obenshain
  • Valley Legislators Applaud Rest Area's Re-Opening – WHSV.com - Dels. Matt Lohr (R-Broadway), Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah), Steve Landes (R-Weyers Cave), Dickie Bell (R-Staunton), Ben Cline (R-Rockbridge) and Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) all joined in commending Gov. Bob McDonnell for keeping his promise to re-open rest areas throughout the Commonwealth.
  • High Stakes For Higher Ed – Daily News-Record - As a tuition-paying parent of a James Madison University student, state Sen. Mark Obenshain said he's worried that money raised through student fees could soon be deposited into the state's general fund.
  • Planned Parenthood license plates bill clears Va. Senate – The Washington Post - The Virginia Senate, controlled by Democrats, has passed a measure that would create a specialty state license plate with the message "Trust Women/Respect Choice."
  • Most Virginia death penalty expansion bills rejected – The Virginian-Pilot - With a governor supportive of expanding capital punishment finally in office, this was going to be the year a perennial effort to repeal the state’s so-called  triggerman  law finally found success.
• Senator Jill Vogel
  • Autism Bill Passes Senate – Leesburg Today - News some Loudoun families have been waiting for came today. A bill that would mandate insurance coverage for autism spectrum disorder passed the Senate by a 27-13 vote. Both of Loudoun's representatives, Sen. Mark Herring (D-33) and Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-27), voted in favor of the bill.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Governors to come together over wind energy – The Virginian-Pilot - Gov. Bob McDonnell and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar don't have much in common when it comes to offshore drilling, but wind energy may be another story.
• Senator William Wampler, Jr.
  • In private, Virginia governor pushes deep budget cuts – The Washington Post - Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) has privately recommended cutting $730 million from K-12 education and $300 million from health programs, as well as changing the state retirement system and requiring 10 days of furloughs for state employees, all to help offset a $2.2 billion budget shortfall over two years, according to sources familiar with the plan.

Article Content

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Emmett Hanger, Jr.
  • Virginia Weighs Indexing Gas Tax To Fuel Efficiency – Downstream Today - Gov. Bob McDonnell may oppose any tax increase to balance Virginia's struggling two-year budget, but the idea of implementing an adjusted increase in the gas tax to keep from losing existing transportation revenue is gaining bipartisan traction in the Virginia Senate.
• Senator Stephen Newman
  • Virginia on Speed – NBC Washington - A measure to raise speed limits is gaining momentum
• Senator Tommy Norment
  • Legislators applaud the Gloucester 40 – The Daily Press - contingent of Gloucester citizens who were among 40 people who filed petitions seeking the removal from office of four county supervisors received standing ovations Monday from the General Assembly for fighting for their First Amendment rights to petition government for a redress of grievances.
• Senator Mark Obenshain
  • Is Va. at risk of phony jurors? Lawmaker says yes – The Virginian-Pilot - Jury tampering made for a John Grisham page-turner and a Hollywood thriller, but could it happen in real life?
• Senator Frank Ruff
  • Legislators target K-12 schools in budget cuts – Collegiate Times - Virginia’s proposed budget has met resistance from supporters of K-12 education and health care as state legislators have laid out competing plans that would slash funding.
• Senator Walter Stosch
  • What’s the Big Deal About Tax Conformity? – CPA Café - Virginia has employed retroactive fixed date tax conformity for many years now. While not the ideal model due to a part-time legislature that meets from January to March, it has worked out okay for the past few years at least with conformity legislation being among the first few bills to be passed and signed into law.
• Senator Richard Stuart
  • Budget dance begins – Apria Healthcare - The Virginia House of Delegates and Senate money committees yesterday unveiled competing budget proposals that both restore $950 million in annual car-tax payments to localities and cut Medicaid funding but differ on how much to trim from K-12 education.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Va. Senate OKs bill on using offshore-drilling cash for roads – Richmond Times-Dispatch - A proposal to pay for roads with cash from offshore drilling is headed to Gov. Bob McDonnell, though it may prove a financial dry hole.

Article Content

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Emmett Hanger
  • Report: CCCA Findings Suppressed – WHSV.com - According to an article in the "Richmond Times-Dispatch" Thursday, former Gov. Tim Kaine's office "was involved in discussions that led to the suppression of findings" related to a team's report on the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents.
• Senator Robert Hurt
  • Legislators unsure about close of session – Danville News - With the end of the 2010 General Assembly session, or “sine die,” tomorrow, local legislators are unsure if they will reach a budget agreement by the deadline — or whether they will go into overtime.
  • General Assembly honors Lacy – Danville News - The Virginia House of Delegates and Senate agreed on resolutions Wednesday to celebrate the life of former Danville City Manager Lyle Lacy.
• Senator Tommy Norment
  • Senate strips anti-bias language from bill – Richmond Times-Dispatch - The Virginia Senate this morning yanked anti-bias protections for gay workers from a deal-sweetening bill aimed at luring to Virginia a defense-and-systems giant with gay-friendly employment policies.
  • BRIEF: Senate OKs economic incentives to lure businesses – The Virginian-Pilot - After striking language that would have placed protections for gay and lesbian workers into law, Virginia's Senate today unanimously approved an economic incentive bill requested by Gov. Bob McDonnell.
• Senator Frederick Quayle
  • Amended life jacket bill goes to House – SmithMountainLake.com - A bill that would require children to wear life preservers is on the House floor. SB93 passed the full Senate Jan. 21 with a 30-10 vote and moved to the House.
• Senator Jill Vogel
  • Pregnancy Resource Centers: A Winning Reversal Of Fortune At The General Assembly – The Family Foundation - At the beginning of this year’s General Assembly session, pregnancy resource centers were in the crosshairs of the abortion industry.
  • Senate approves controversial gun bills – Richmond Times-Dispatch - The Virginia Senate today approved two controversial House of Delegates gun bills that will allow permit holders to carry concealed handguns into bars and non-permit holders to conceal their firearms in cars.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Va. gov McDonnell signs offshore energy bills – World News - Gov. Bob McDonnell signed into law Wednesday offshore drilling legislation intended to realize his goal of making Virginia the East Coast's energy superpower.
• Senator William Wampler, Jr. 
  • McDonnell visits legislators on their turf, encourages budget deal – The Washington Post - As negotations over Virginia's budget proceed, Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) made an unannounced appearance in the General Assembly Building to encourage the House and Senate to come to terms.
  • State budget deadline nears – The Free Lance-Star - Budget negotiators worked late into last night, trying to resolve differences by today to adjourn the legislature on time tomorrow.
    
    

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Jill Vogel
  • Judge replacements on hold – Rappahannock News - Former General District Court Judge Charles B. Foley’s position may not be filled for at least two years as a result of a budget amendment included in the spending plan recently approved by the General Assembly.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Offshore drilling concerns NASA, Navy, and environmentalists – The Daily Press - President Barack Obama reversed a ban on most offshore drilling, a move that could put Virginia at the forefront of East Coast oil and natural gas exploration.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus. 

• Senator Robert Hurt
  • Chamber sponsors legislative reception – Star-Tribune - Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a legislative reception with Sen. Robert Hurt, Del. Danny Marshall, Del. Don Merricks and Del. Charles Poindexter Thursday, April 15.
• Senator Ralph Smith
  • General Assembly session's over, but disagreement lingers – WDBJ7.com - As State lawmakers return from Richmond disagreements linger after a difficult session in the General Assembly.
• Senator Jill Vogel
  • Vogel Weighs in on Offshore Drilling – tv3Winchester.com - Local law makers say they are thrilled with president Obama's decision to explore offshore drilling on the east coast. Virginia state senator Jill Vogel says law makers in the commonwealth have been working to make Virginia the first on the east coast to produce oil.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • President Obama Raises Hopes and Questions for Virginia’s Offshore Drilling Dreams  -- Old Dominion Watchdog - President Barack Obama’s push for offshore drilling along the mid-Atlantic coast is welcome news in Virginia, where elected officials have called on Congress to open up federal waters off state shores to drilling for oil and natural gas.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Mark Obenshain
  • Working the jury list: Time available for jury research bumped to five days in Va. – Virginia Lawyer’s Weekly - A funny thing happened in the General Assembly to a “modest” bill dealing with the amount of time lawyers have to do research on prospective jurors.
• Senator Ralph Smith
  • Salem welcomes stretch of greenway along Riverside Drive – The Roanoke Times - Bright blades of new grass poked up through fresh straw Friday morning at a greenway dedication ceremony at Salem's Rotary Park.
• Senator Walter Stosch
  • McDonnell Signs Job Opportunity Bills – WHSV.com - Flanked by Democratic and Republican lawmakers and Northern Virginia technology and business leaders, Gov. Bob McDonnell signed into law Tuesday a number of bills from his successful “Jobs and Opportunity” legislative agenda.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Unanimous Passage of Offshore Wind Legislation in Virginia – Citybiznews - Hampton Roads-based consulting and government affairs firm, Principle Advantage, LTD, had its efforts in representing the Virginia Offshore Wind Coalition (VOW) recognized by Governor Robert F. McDonnell and members of the Virginia legislature in a bill signing ceremony late last week.
  • Federal lease holds promise but faces uncertain future – Virginia Business - The prospect of offshore drilling in Virginia’s coastal waters can be summed up in four words: Hurry up and wait. 
  • Governor Signs Bills Promoting Virginia's Energy Options – Old Dominion University - Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell came to the Old Dominion University campus on Friday, April 2, to sign bills promoting energy production and conservation in the state, and to reflect on his campaign promise - unveiled at ODU a year ago - to make Virginia the energy capital of the East Coast.
  • Governor McDonnell Signs Green Energy Legislation at Old Dominion University – Governor Bob McDonnell - Governor Bob McDonnell visited the campus of Old Dominion University today to sign into law a number of green energy bills passed by the General Assembly this session.
• Senator John Watkins
  • Longer delays spur gun debate – Waynesboro News Virginian - Prospective gun buyers in Virginia are waiting longer for background checks to clear their firearms purchases.
  • Enthusiasm counts in race for rail – The Virginian-Pilot - When federal and state officials were trying to lock down the best corridor for a high-speed rail line from Washington, D.C., through Virginia to Charlotte back in 2001, they scheduled 18 public hearings to collect ideas and address concerns. 

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Emmett Hanger
  • Center of promise – The News Virginian - State and local government officials and site developers gathered Saturday in a former Waynesboro industrial plant to discuss how the property might be turned into an economic driver.
• Senator Ryan McDougle
  • Sen. McDougle & Del. Hugo Host Press Conference on Faulty EPA Stormwater Claims – RyanMcDougle.com - Two veteran members of the Virginia General Assembly and co-chairs of the Joint Republican Business Caucus, Delegate Tim Hugo of Clifton, Virginia and Senator Ryan McDougle of Mechanicsville, Virginia announced the release of a letter today to Governor Bob McDonnell, which noted that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Chesapeake Bay Program has been using faulty data in their efforts to encourage the six (6) Bay states and the District of Columbia to strengthen their stormwater management regulations. 
• Senator Mark Obenshain
  • VDOT studies highway speed limit increases – The Northern Virginia Daily - Studies are underway to determine what sections of Virginia's highways could have an increased speed limit from 65 mph to 70 mph beginning this summer.
• Senator Richard Stuart
  • Virginia governor praises Norfolk District's exceptional environmental stewardship – www.army.mil - Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell recently awarded the 2010 Governor's Environmental Excellence Award to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District, for demonstrated commitment to land stewardship in Virginia through the protection of Crow's Nest peninsula.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • McDonnell names 64 to jobs-creation commission – Richmond Times Dispatch – Gov. Bob McDonnell pulled from a cross-section of prominent state business leaders and legislators to fill the job-creation commission he established with his first executive order.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Emmett Hanger
  • Cash-strapped states go online, hoping to tax sales – The Washington Post - For years, consumers have counted a legal quirk that allows many Internet retailers to forgo charging sales tax as one of the perks of shopping online.
  • Riverstone Funding Approved – The Gazette-Virginian - The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission has approved $471,000 for a power upgrade project at Riverstone Technology Park.
• Senator Frank Ruff
  • Leaf Comm. funding okayed – South Hill Enterprise - The full Virginia Tobacco Commission (VTC) met Thursday to approve a variety of grants for the Southside Virginia region including a $1,250,000 grant to the Mecklenburg County Industrial Development Authority to be used to purchase and refurbish the Harden Manufacturing Facility at the Airport Industrial Complex in La Crosse.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Va. coast wind farm wouldn't harm Navy operations – Winston-Salem Journal - A new report says a wind farm off the coast of Virginia Beach wouldn't affect Navy or NASA operations in the area.
  • Offshore wind could supply 10% of Virginia's power demands – The Daily Press - An offshore wind farm could provide 10 percent of Virginia's electricity demands without interfering with Defense Department operations, a new report states.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Tommy Norment
  • TNCC to Recognize Local, State Leaders During May 15 Commencement – Thomas Nelson Community College - Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) will recognize several government officials and community members for their contributions in education and public service during its 41st commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 15 at 10:00 a.m. at the Hampton University Convocation Center.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Gulf Disaster Changes (Some) Va. Pols’ Plans – NBCWashington.com – What may have seemed like easy money -- environmentalists’ objections notwithstanding -- no longer seems like a safe bet for some politicians who support drilling for oil and natural gas off Virginia’s coastline.
  • Virginia backers of offshore drilling still in favor but urge study – Richmond Times-Dispatch - Supporters of drilling for oil and natural gas off the Virginia coast still want to "drill, baby, drill" -- but not so fast.

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The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Ralph Smith
  • GOP sees lessons to learn from loss – The Roanoke Times - Roanoke Republicans ran a full slate of candidates in Tuesday's city council election for the first time in eight years.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Va. governor keeps eye on drilling prize – The Daily Press - Gov. Bob McDonnell remains committed to making Virginia the first East Coast state to explore offshore oil and gas resources, despite the ever-worsening Gulf Coast oil spill and wilting political support for new drilling.

Article Content

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus. 

• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Protesters oppose offshore drilling – Daily Press – Less than 24 hours after the federal government put the skids on new offshore drilling projects, environmental activists staged a mock oil spill on Virginia Beach's boardwalk.
• Senator William Wampler
  • Local pharmaceutical hopes to develop, market new drugs – TriCities.com - Hundreds of new jobs could be on their way to Southwest Virginia, said Keith Latham, president and chief scientist of Innovative Technologies, a drug development company operating in the Bristol-Washington County Industrial Park.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus. 

• Senator Emmett Hanger
  • Celebrating Virginians’ Sacrifices – The Richmond Times-Dispatch - Virginia's General Assembly has earned the gratitude of all citizens for acting in its most recent session to preserve the vanishing memories of a unique and glorious piece of the state's history.
  • Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind Breaks Ground on New Facility – WHSV.com - The Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind cut the ribbon on a newly renovated building and broke ground on another facility Wednesday.
  • Progress marked for VSDB-Staunton – Waynesboro News Virginian - For years, the Staunton community feared the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind would be consolidated elsewhere in the state, ending a tradition of service that started in the 1830s and includes a period when the Staunton campus housed wounded Civil War soldiers.
  • Landes: Health reform has many hidden costs – Charlottesville Daily Progress - Federal health care could cost Virginia $1.5 billion over the next year or so, a local delegate said Wednesday.
  • Legislators review GA session, upcoming challenges – The News Leader - Two months after signing off on a state budget that resulted in cutting $4 billion for the biennium, area legislators offered mixed outlooks on the financial future for Virginia.
  • Legislators Speak to Community Members About 2010 General Assembly – WHSV.com - Sen. Emmett Hanger and several other local legislators were in Augusta County Wednesday to talk to community members about the impact of this year's General Assembly.
  • Local Legislators Appointed to Commission for Wilson's Centennial – WHSV.com - Dels. Richard P. “Dickie” Bell (R-Staunton) and R. Steven Landes (R-Weyers Cave) and Sen. Emmett Hanger, Jr. (R- Augusta County) announced Tuesday they have been appointed to the Virginia Commission on the Centennial of the Woodrow Wilson Presidency.
• Senator Ryan McDougle
  • Governor signs McDougle’s public safety legislation – The Mechanicsville Local - Sen. Ryan T. McDougle, R-Hanover, joined Gov. McDonnell and members of the law enforcement community for the unveiling of the Governor’s Executive Order No. 11 highlighting his prisoner re-entry initiative and for the bill signing of the senator’s Senate Bill 670 from this year’s General Assembly session.
• Senator Stephen Newman
  • Rep. Bob Goodlatte questions Attorney General on Soering transfer – Lynchburg News & Advance - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder cast some doubt Thursday on the possibility that convicted murderer Jens Soering might be transferred to a prison in his native Germany, where he could be paroled in two years.
  • Mr. Holder’s Inexplicable Behavior – Lynchburg News & Advance - No doubt, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is a smart man: a former federal judge, U.S. attorney, Columbia University graduate, the first black American to serve as attorney general.
  • Virginia Passes Higher Speed Limit Despite Safety Risk – 24-7pressrelease.com - In February, the Virginia General Assembly voted to increase the speed limit on some of the state's rural highways from 65 to 70 miles per hour. The measure was proposed by Republican Gov. Bill McDonnell and sponsored by two Republican state representatives, Del. Bill Carrico (R-Galax) and Sen. Steve Newman (R-Lynchburg).
  • The U.S. 29 Speedbump That Is Charlottesville – The News & Advance - For more than two decades, Charlottesville and Albemarle County have been a thorn in the side of communities up and down the U.S. 29 corridor.
  • McDonnell reinforces state’s stance on Soering transfer – The News & Advance - Gov. Bob McDonnell reminded the U.S. attorney general Monday that Virginia opposes a proposed transfer of convicted Bedford County murderer Jens Soering to a prison in his native Germany.
• Senator Tommy Norment
  • Four targets of Gloucester supervisors' subpoenas fight back – The Daily Press - Four members of the "Gloucester 40" who were targets of subpoenas by three county supervisors and an ex-supervisors have hired Sen. Tommy Norment to quash them.
  • Shipyard exec gives tips to TNCC graduates – The Daily Press - Thomasina Wright once sat in the seats at her own graduation from Thomas Nelson Community College, so she explained that she had a unique perspective on giving a commencement address for the college.
• Senator Mark Obenshain
  • BOYD: Set Virginia booze free – The Washington Times - Being honored as the country's No. 1 business state should make all Virginians proud. To continue in that role, however, Virginia must set a national example, applying innovative, pro-business policies that, in return, generate revenues to the Commonwealth.
•  Senator Frank Ruff
  • Rural leaders meet to map out future regional policies – The News & Record - Confronted by continuing economic challenges exasperated by the current economy and continuing changing industrial and agriculture markets, rural leaders from the Southern United States came together to plan for the regions future.
• Senator Richard Stuart
  • LifeCare unveils ‘awareness’ ambulance – Stafford County Sun - LifeCare Medical Transports unveiled a unique, new ambulance at a breast-cancer awareness event held May 12 at its Fredericksburg building.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • On second thought ... Poll shows support for oil drilling way down – Inside Business - PUBLIC SUPPORT for offshore drilling in Virginia has dropped significantly in the wake of the Gulf Coast oil spill disaster, an Inside Business poll has found
  • Uranium Mining Subcommittee to meet in Chatham June 22 – Star-Tribune - The Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy's Uranium Mining Subcommittee will meet in Chatham Tuesday, June 22.
  • Oil off our coast not money in the bank – istockanalyst - While planning his run for governor, Bob McDonnell faced a conundrum: Virginians want better roads, but they don't want to pay for them.
• Senator William Wampler
  • Long-distance health care now covered by insurance – Virginia Lawyers Weekly - Legislation to mandate insurance coverage for telemedicine services in Virginia won unanimous approval in the 2010 General Assembly.
  • Alpha Natural Resources breaks ground on new headquarters in Bristol – Blue Ridge Business Journal - Alpha Natural Resources broke ground last week on a new headquarters in Bristol. The company will seek LEED certification on the building.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Steve Newman
  • Yet More Good News on the Rails – The News & Advance - The new Amtrak train that runs from Lynchburg to Washington, D.C., has been operating only for eight months, so it’s still a bit early to declare it an unqualified success, but ...
• Senator Mark Obenshain
  • Not your average Walk in the Park – Northern Virginia Daily - Between the llamas and the screech owl, people of all ages had something to see Saturday at the Shenandoah River State Park.
• Senator Jill Vogel
  • Vogel Says Oil Spill Setback for Offshore Drilling – TV3Winchester.com - Local law makers say Virginians will have to rethink their approach to offshore drilling in light of the recent tragedy in the gulf. State Senator Jill Vogel, R 27th District, says the gulf oil spill is an enormous set back for offshore drilling in the commonwealth.
  • Vogel Reviews Legislative Session – TV3Winchester.com - State senator Jill Vogel has her priorities set for the next legislative session. Vogel spoke at a Rotary Club luncheon in Winchester this afternoon.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Big risk, big boon: Offshore drilling could create 15,000 jobs – The Virginian Pilot - Drilling for oil and natural gas off the Virginia coast has been touted as a potential economic boon for the state and Hampton Roads that would create thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars in investment in the region.
• Senator John Watkins
  • Proposed police gun range in Powhatan meets opposition – Richmond Times-Dispatch - Powhatan County residents and officials weren’t the only ones surprised recently by plans for a proposed state law-enforcement training facility and gun range off Old River Trail.

Sen. Frank Wagner was recently featured in an article published in the Financial Times Deutschland.  The translation of the article is below.

After the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico the enthusiasm for offshore oil drilling shrinks for the east coast states in the U.S.

 Friday, 7 May, Before the Neptune Statue, where the ten meters high sea god out greenish bronze is holding his triton into the clear sky, the environmentalists meet at the oceanfront of Virginia Beach. Between sun chairs and a children's game castle they spread a black tarpaulin on the white sand. Black like the oil that is hitting the shoreline of Louisiana and Mississippi. "This is what the future could look in Virginia!" says Eileen Levandoski of the Sierra club. She wears a dark-blue garrison cap; the spring sun has turned her face red. "We want the people to get an impression of what drilling for oil could mean for our coasts."

 The first sunbathers of the season and the people sitting on bar stools at the Hilton with their lattes cannot be frightened. Only a few reporters ask the demonstrator's questions. "Typical," says Frank Wagner, "everywhere there are these small groups that dominate the media." Wagner represents the city of Virginia Beach in the Virginia State Senate, where the republican fights side by side with Governor Robert McDonnell for the right to drill for oil and gas off the Virginia coast.

 For more than 20 years no offshore drilling was allowed because of environmental issues on the U.S. Atlantic coast. The Barack Obama administration signaled at the end of March that they wanted to start test drilling to begin at the end 2012. For McDonnell the victory seemed to be within easy reach and the environmentalists seem, to many Americans, to be unreasonable.  Since the accident, offshore construction work in the Gulf of Mexico has changed and McDonnell is suddenly on the defensive.

 With the coast from Mississippi to Florida being threatened by the oil spill the plans of the governor have shifted. Virginia has a comprehensive energy concept. They want to use coal, nuclear power and renewable energy sources such as sun and wind. The passion of the governor is valid however, for the investigation and development of the presumed oil reservoirs off the coast of Virginia. McDonnell wanted to use oil and gas to bring Virginia back to theglorious past in enjoyed when coal was plentiful. Whether these plans will be pursued further will be determined by the policy in Washington. "We in Virginia have no control," says Wagner.

Robert Matthias, the Administrative Manager of Virginia Beach, explained to the participants attending a meeting at the Virginia Beach Conference Center that possible finds of oil and gas off the Virginia coast could bring in 5,500 new jobs, investments up to $7.8 billion and $271 millions in tax revenue for the state and municipalities, within the first ten years. Along the Gulf of Mexico the oil industry has created 80,000 jobs with salaries 30% higher than the regional average. But Matthias knows that "after what happened in the gulf of Mexico it becomes much more difficult to begin drilling off the east coast."

The Department of the Interior in Washington has stopped issuing permits for offshore drilling for the time being. Three planned public hearings scheduled in May were called off. The official reason given is that the department is overloaded due to the need to resolve the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

That change in public opinion puts President Obama and the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, under a great deal of pressure. Since the end of March, the agreement to drill for oil off the coast has dropped 72% to 58%. Today 69% are concerned that offshore drilling for oil could harm the environment compared with 49% one month ago; it could drop even more. The leakage at the sea-bottom is not still plugged and tremendous quantities oil are nearing the gulf coast.

Perhaps it is good that Governor McDonnell and Senator Wagner still have other plans. They want Virginia to develop wind energy. On the jetty in front of Davis Boat Works in Newport News there is a beautiful blue sky; to the left an aircraft carrier is tied up at the port of Norfolk; to the right the Old Dominion Terminal with coal from West Virginia on freighters bound for Europe; and ahead in the bay there could soon be windmills by Vestas or Siemens, where researchers are testing for a planned wind park off the coast.

The Republican Wagner likes an opponent of the environmental protection laws that Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman brought to the U.S. Senate; he does not believe in global warming. He does not object to President Obama's plans to develop ways to promote renewable energy. "Nobody doubts that fossil energy sources will end. We must develop a logical transition plan." The wind in the Atlantic off Virginia's coast could be the solution - this is an opinion Wagner shares with environmentalist Levandoski. "Wind energy, not oil must be our focus. Generally speaking, we have the best wind in the country."

Rarely have opinions about energy been agreed to so easily. "During the debate over oil and gas in high degrees, seems polarized, while offshore wind projects are meaningful," say George Hagerman, energy expert at Virginia Tech. Two weeks ago the government approved its first wind park before the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. This caused hope in Virginia. A study of the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Corporation assumes windmills have a capacity of up to 3,200 megawatts, 10% of the Virginia's power requirement. Two local enterprises, Apex and Seawind, have shown interest; together they want to install to 2,300 megawatts. The shipyards in the region could produce turbines and rotor blades for this purpose - as has already happened in Emden.

So far the wind plans come very slowly. The doubts of the tourism industry could be eliminated fast, the 20 kilometers planned for the wind park off the coast would barely be seen from the shoreline. Other important participants also have doubts, the four military bases in Hampton Roads, like the area around Virginia Beach, are called the largest employer is in that Region. The Navy and the Air Force are afraid that windmills could impair their operations. "Without the military nothing happens," says Matthias. The Pentagon has proposals for the areas the military considered to be suitable for windmills.

Researcher Hagerman also finds that the energy on all fronts must be advanced, not only in 20 years, if the scope of action by man shrank drastically. He also regards the oil plans pragmatically and says that we must first find out if drilling is worth it. "It can do no harm to know, what the inventory is," says Hagerman.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Emmett Hanger
  • Virginia Guard commemorates 66th anniversary of D-Day this weekend – National Guard - The Virginia National Guard will participate in two events June 5 and 6 to recognize Soldiers of the 29th Infantry Division and the 116th Infantry Regiment for their role in the D-Day landings at Normandy during World War II.
• Senator Jeff McWaters
  • Feds reject HOV privileges for active-duty military – The Virginian-Pilot - Federal transportation officials have rejected Virginia's request that uniformed active-duty military members be allowed to travel in HOV lanes in Hampton Roads even if they're driving alone.
  • McWaters supports drilling delay – The Virginian-Pilot - In the wake of a White House decision to postpone offshore drilling along Virginia's coast as a response to the damaged oil well still spewing crude into the Gulf of Mexico, one GOP state legislator from Virginia Beach has offered public comments seemingly supportive of that stance.
• Senator Fred Quayle
  • VA State Police "Line of Duty Act" provides better benefits – SWAC Girl - Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA) has signed legislation extending short-term disability benefits for Virginia's State Troopers who are injured in the line of duty.
  • 'Line of Duty Act' provides better benefits for Va. State Police – The Washington Examiner - Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA) has signed legislation extending short-term disability benefits for Virginia's State Troopers who are injured in the line of duty.
  • McDonnell signs bill benefitting injured troopers – The Virginia Pilot - Virginia State Police troopers seriously injured in the line of duty will have up to a year to recover and return to their duties as a result of a new law sponsored by a state Sen. Fred Quayle, R-Suffolk.
  • Governor McDonnell Signs Legislation Extending Disability Benefits for State Police Officers – On the Right - Governor Bob McDonnell today signed legislation which will extend short term disability benefits for Virginia State Police officers injured in the line of duty. SB95, sponsored by Senator Fred Quayle (R-Suffolk), extends the length of time that a state police officer subject to a work-related injury in the line of duty will receive supplemental short-term disability coverage equal to 100% of their compensation.
• Senator Frank Ruff
  • From dream to reality – The News Record - In just minutes, 200 guests filed from the sunlight-drenched, glass-enclosed lobby of The Clarksville Enrichment Complex into the even brighter afternoon sun, witnessed a ribbon cutting precision-organized by Joe Davidson of the Mecklenburg County Community Services Corporation and Linda Williams of the Chamber of Commerce, and returned inside to cool off and celebrate.
• Senator Jill Vogel
  • ProJet Aviation Celebrates Leesburg Airport Opening – Leesburg Today - ProJet Aviation was welcomed into the county with open arms Wednesday night, as local elected officials and dignitaries celebrated its arrival at Leesburg Executive Airport.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Virginia offshore drilling faces obstacles, but still offers economic promise – Virginia Energy Independence Alliance - Just one month ago, Virginia was poised to become the first Atlantic state to be cleared to develop its offshore oil and natural gas reserves.  
• Senator William Wampler
  • Economic officials tour Southwest Virginia – Kingsport Times News - A two-day tour of Southwest Virginia for cabinet-level state economic development officials includes a sightseeing tour of a region in transition as portrayed by regional and local representatives.
  • Cabinet members visit UVa-Wise as part of Southwest Virginia tour – The University of Virginia Wise - Two members of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s cabinet visited The University of Virginia’s College at Wise Wednesday as part of a two-day tour of Southwest Virginia.
• Senator John Watkins
  • UDC Chesterfield Chapter honors Confederate soldiers buried at Chesterfield church – The Progress-Index - Members of the Chesterfield Chapter No. 851 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), with the SCV General Robert E. Lee Camp No. 1589 Honor Guard, and the SCV Chester Station Camp No. 1503 Color Guard, Pastor and Mrs. Larry Davis, congregation members and distinguished guests gathered at the Skinquarter Baptist Church, located in the Moseley area, May 1, at 10 a.m., to honor the 12 Confederate soldiers buried in the church's cemetery with an official grave marking ceremony.
  • Key officials won’t tour France’s uranium site – Danville News - Key legislative officials on the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission, including the heads of the commission and its Uranium Mining Subcommittee, have said they will not travel to France to visit a reclaimed uranium mine and mill site.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senators Frank Wagner and John Watkins
  • Coal and energy commission members to visit reclaimed uranium mine in France – Star-Tribune - Three members of the Virginia Commission on Coal and Energy are scheduled to visit a reclaimed uranium mine and mill in Bessines, France, later this week.
• Senator Emmett Hanger
  • Tax and spend: Streamlining effort could raise revenues, but at the cost of jobs – Augusta Free Press - The state of Virginia is losing as much as $400 million a year to uncollected taxes from Internet retailers.
• Senator Walter Stosch
  • State resists dipping into tobacco fund  -- Old Dominion Watchdog - Safe from Virginia’s budget woes and relatively sheltered from the recession, a cushy tobacco fund in southern Virginia is fueling diverse projects like cordless electric cars and broadband expansion.
• Senator Jill Vogel
  • Our Health celebrates building's reopening – Northern Virginia Daily - The city's neediest people once stood in line waiting for food stamps and other help at the Winchester Department of Social Services.
• Senator William Wampler
  • Alpha Breaks Ground in Bristol – The Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia - Goodbye, Abingdon. No thanks, Maryland. Too bad, Tennessee. The bidding to host the new corporate headquarters of Alpha Natural Resources ended with the company moving just a few miles from its current Abingdon location to Bristol, Virginia.

Article Content

                On July 1, 2010, nearly 900 new laws passed during this year’s General Assembly session will take effect.  Among that legislation are dozens of bills sponsored by members of the Senate Republican Caucus.

                 “While the focus of this year’s session was rightfully on the budget, the General Assembly managed to pass many positive bills focused on an array of policy areas,” commented Senate Republican Leader Thomas K. Norment, Jr. (James City).  “Members of the Senate Republican Caucus carried bills this session focused on job creation, economic development, education, transportation, public safety, and many other policy areas.  In fact, the legislation that is the basis for Virginia’s lawsuit against the federal healthcare bill was first passed as a policy proposed by Senate Republicans.”

                 Below are some highlights of key bills patroned by each member of the Senate Republican Caucus that will take effect on Thursday.

• Senator Harry Blevins (Chesapeake)
  • SB 8 – Sets up certification program for pyrotechnicians and firework operators and requires a certified person be present when fireworks displays are conducted.
  • SB 201 – Requires the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission (JLARC) to conduct an operational and performance audit of Virginia’s transportation programs.
• Senator Emmett Hanger (Augusta)
  • SB 334 – Allows persons with concealed handgun permits to carry concealed weapons into restaurants or bars so long as they do not consume alcohol.
  • SB 623 – Allows tax credits for the creation of “green” jobs.
• Senator Robert Hurt (Pittsylvania)
  • SB 455 – Exempts veterans from the handling fee charged by the Department of Business Assistance when establishing a small business through the one-stop small business permitting program. 
  • SB 486 – Requires the Department of Juvenile Justice to provide information to law-enforcement relating to involvement in or investigations of criminal street gangs. 
• Senator Steve Martin (Chesterfield)
  • SB 55 – Allows voters entitled to vote absentee due to active duty military service, service in the merchant marines, or temporary residence outside of the United States and the dependents of such voters to use the federal write-in absentee ballot to voce in state and local elections, as well as federal elections.
  • SB 311 – Provides that no resident of the Commonwealth shall be required to maintain an insurance policy.
• Senator Ryan McDougle (Hanover)
  • SB 128 – Allows for trading of NOx and SO2 credits and prohibits the Air Pollution Control Board from preventing businesses in certain regions of the state from purchasing such credits from other facilities.
  • SB 670 – Requires prisoners who owe fines, court costs, and other penalties to contribute part of their pay from work programs to relieving this obligation.
• Senator Jeff McWaters (Virginia Beach)
  • SB 696 – Allows active-duty military personnel in uniform to use HOV lanes in Hampton Roads regardless of the number of passengers.
• Senator Steve Newman (Lynchburg)
  • SB 537 – Allows for increases in the speed limit to 70 mph on highways that currently have 65 mph speed limits. 
  • SB 602 – The fact that an umbilical cord has not been cut or that the placenta remains attached should not be considered when determining if an infant has achieved an independent and separate existence
  • SB 736 – Allows for the establishment of college partnership laboratory schools by any public college that operates a teacher education program.  Schools will be public schools established by contract between the college’s board and the Board of Education.  Teachers shall be employees of the college and licensed by the Board of Education. 
  • SB 737 – Requires charter school applicant to submit charter application to state Board of Education for review based on Board’s criteria before being submitted to local school board.  If application is denied, the applicant may seek technical assistance from the Superintendent of Public Instruction and petition for reconsideration of the decision. 
  • SB  738 – Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop and the Board of Education to approve criteria for approving multi-division providers of online courses and virtual school programs.  Allows local school boards to enter into contracts with approved private or non-profit organizations to provide such courses and programs. 
• Senator Tommy Norment (James City)
  • SB 512 – Requires legislators to disclose on their Statement of Economic Interest any salary they or members of their immediate families earn from state or local governments or advisory agencies.
  • SB 520 – Adds murder of auxiliary police officers or auxiliary deputy sheriffs to the capital murder statute
• Senator Mark Obenshain
  • SB 352 – Allows for delayed implementation of statutes and regulations for school accreditation that were not already in effect as of June 30, 2008.
• Senator Fred Quayle
  • SB 283 – Provides that no resident of the Commonwealth shall be required to maintain an insurance policy.
• Senator Frank Ruff
  • SB 656 – Adds personal property and real property improvements used primarily to manufacture a product from renewable energy as a separate classification of property for local property tax purposes.
• Senator Ralph Smith (Botetourt)
  • SB 506 – Prohibits the Governor, his PAC, or any pertinent Secretaries from knowingly soliciting or accepting contributions, gifts, or other items worth more than $50 from any bidders or offerors, their controlling persons, or persons acting on their behalf, who have submitted bids or proposals for public contracts worth $5 million.
• Senator Walter Stosch (Henrico)
  • SB 739 – Expands the use of grants from the Governor’s Development Opportunity Fund to allow such grants to be used for the construction or build-out of privately owned buildings to allow Virginia to more aggressively pursue companies looking to construct headquarters and operations centers in Virginia.  
• Senator Richard Stuart (Westmoreland)
  • SB 151 – Prevents home owners’ associations from prohibiting the display of American flags on private property.
• Senator Jill Vogel (Fauquier)
  • SB 408 – Allows persons who may lawfully own a firearm to carry a handgun in a private motor vehicle if it is locked in a container or compartment.
  • SB 417 – Provides that no resident of the Commonwealth shall be required to maintain an insurance policy.
• Senator Frank Wagner (Virginia Beach)
  • SB 394 – Sets the Commonwealth’s policy to support exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas resources 50 miles or more off Virginia’s coast.
• Senator William Wampler (Bristol)  
  • SB 613 – Allows members of the Virginia National Guard called to state active duty by the Governor to continue their health care coverage, at the member’s expense.
  • SB 622 – Prohibits dental insurance plans from establishing a rate that a dentist or oral surgeon is required to accept for services unless the services are covered under the dental plan.
• Senator John Watkins (Powhatan)
  • SB 243 – Exempts active duty military personnel who are residents and on leave from having to obtain a basic fishing license.
  • SB 472 – Reduces the number of full-time jobs needed to qualify for the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit from 100 to 50, or from 50 to 25 in enterprise zones. 
  • SB 475 – Provides that grants and loans from the Governor’s Development Opportunity Fund be awarded based on job creation, private capital investment, and additional tax revenue expected to accrue to the state or localities. 

To learn about more of the laws taking effect on July 1, you may read the Session Highlights publication prepared by the Division of Legislative Services or visit the Legislative Information System website.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Multiple Senators
  • Virginia FREE 2010 legislator rankings – NVDaily.com - Ratings by the pro-business advocacy organization Virginia FREE for members of the Virginia General Assembly based on votes taken on business legislation before the 2010 session. Members are grouped by cumulative score by chamber, name and party.
  • Business, conservation groups rate Va. Lawmakers – Richmond Times Dispatch - Republicans lead in one closely watched legislative report card. Democrats do better in another. Both grading systems are about green -- campaign cash and the environment.
  • Virginia Free evaluates legislators – Inside Business - The Virginia Foundation for Research and Economic Education, or Virginia Free, has evaluated Virginia lawmakers for their views on business issues. Jeffrey McWaters and Frank Wagner earned the highest marks.
• Senator Ryan McDougle
  • Lawmakers- High Court Decision on Guns Shouldn't Affect VA – WTVR.com - A Supreme Court decision declaring a handgun ban in Chicago "unconstitutional" could impact many states, but probably not Virginia.
• Senator Frank Ruff
  • Scholarship program lauded – The News Record - The Virginia Tobacco Commission’s Scholarship/Forgivable Loan program was recognized by the Southern Growth Policy Board at the 2010 Innovator Awards ceremony held Monday, June 7.
• Senator Richard Stuart
  • NEW STATE LAWS ON THE BOOKS – Fredericksburg.com - Tomorrow, 877 new laws will go into effect in Virginia. The laws, passed by the General Assembly during its session at the beginning of the year, cover everything from a locality's ability to cut grass to concealed weapons in bars.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Gulf spill gives Va. lawmakers second thoughts on new policy – The Virginian-Pilot - The record oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is causing many Virginia lawmakers to rethink their position on a new state policy, signed into law just before the disaster began, that supports oil drilling off the Virginia coast.
• Senator William Wampler
  • Lt. Gov. Bolling: There is light at the end of the tunnel – TriCities.com - Virginia’s chief economic development officer, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, said Tuesday that he can see the light at the end of the recession’s tunnel – and Southwest Virginia is well positioned to take advantage of the economic growth to come.
  • Dreaming big dreams – Southwest Virginia Today - It looks a lot like tourism, but it’s not, at least not entirely, Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Commission Executive Director Todd Christensen said.
• Senator John Watkins
  • NEW TOW LAW'S GOAL IS SAFETY – Fredericksburg.com - If you are towing an improperly secured trailer on Virginia roads, Ron Melancon is looking for you.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Emmett Hanger
  • Stones' 'Sweet Virginia' would be a sweet state song – Roanoke Times - It's time to put an end to one of this commonwealth's glaring lapses, one that has existed for more than a decade, and one that's been debated back and forth without effective resolution.
• Senator Ryan McDougle
  • Hanover County Commonwealth’s Attorney Summarizes New Laws – Hanover County News Flash - Most likely, due to budget constraints, the General Assembly passed limited legislation affecting criminal law or criminal procedure in the Commonwealth. 
• Senator Steven Newman
  • McDonnell administration to convene meeting to break U.S. 29 impasse – Charlottesville Tomorrow - Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton has directed Lynchburg and Charlottesville officials to meet in early August to hammer out disagreements over the future of U.S. 29 through Albemarle County.
  • Lead investigator reacts to Jens Soering decision – WDBJ7.com - We're hearing reaction to the U.S. Attorney General's decision to keep a convicted murderer in Virginia.
  • Haysom relatives on Soering decision: 'It's about time' – The Lynchburg News & Advance - The U.S. Department of Justice decision this week, after six months of thinking it over, to leave convicted murderer Jens Soering in a Virginia prison came as a relief to the family of his victims.
• Senator Tommy Norment
  • Competition, recession have hurt Va. horse-racing industry – Richmond Times-Dispatch - Virginia's legacy of horse racing is in jeopardy.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Is the stimulus stimulating things in Hampton Roads? – The Virginian-Pilot - The antiquated repair shop where mechanics once worked on Norfolk's street cars is gone.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Emmett Hanger
  • Bill takes aim at uncollected Internet sales tax – Fredericksburg.com - There is an estimated $23 billion in uncollected state sales taxes out there, lost to online purchases from retailers who don't collect it and buyers who don't voluntarily pay it to the state.
  • Praising Commission on Centennial of Wilson Presidency – WHSV.com - On Thursday, the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum praised the Virginia General Assembly for establishing the Virginia Commission on the Centennial of the Woodrow Wilson Presidency.
• Senator Robert Hurt
  • SCC approves 5.6% APCo rate increase – The Franklin News-Post - The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) has approved a 5.6-percent rate increase for Appalachian Power Co. (APCo) that will take effect Aug. 1.
• Senator Ryan McDougle
  • Virginians voice concerns to state reform commission – TriCities.com - A three-dollar timer from Walmart and a plethora of suggestions for government reform, such as opposing the recent plans for elk restoration in Southwest Virginia, were offered during Wednesday’s town hall meeting, held at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.
• Senator Thomas Norment
  • Electric utility commission to hold public meeting – WPCVA.com - The Commission on Electric Utility Regulation will meet on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 1 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Roanoke Higher Education Center at 108 N. Jefferson Street, Rm 212, Roanoke.
• Senator Mark Obenshain
  • Governor's Commission Stops In Valley – NBC29.com - The Governor's Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring brought its statewide road tour to the Shenandoah Valley Wednesday.
  • Dozens offer ways to better manage government – The News Leader - Scores of ideas to create a better state government — from amending liquor laws to protecting localities from budget cuts — were suggested during a town hall meeting in Verona on Wednesday.
  • Area officials decry state disconnect – Waynesboro News-Virginian - Gov. Bob McDonnell's government reform commission rolled into town Wednesday night seeking public input and getting an earful.
  • Valley Residents Voice Ideas to Governor's Commission – WHSV.com - Budget cuts and economic struggles are nothing new to the Commonwealth.
  • Gilbert worked to change law – Northern Virginia Daily - The multi-jurisdictional gang grand jury used to bring indictments last week against five men accused of raping two Central High School students was the brainchild of a former Shenandoah County prosecutor.
• Senator Frank Ruff
  • R/gitex USA takes over Brodnax Mills – South Hill Enterprise - A subsidiary of a Canadian based textile company R/gitex Inc. will be taking over and upgrading the Brodnax Mills facility in Brodnax saving 45 local jobs and opening the door to the creation of up to 15 new jobs.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • State agencies work toward wind farms – WAVY.com - Twenty years down the road when wind farms are operating in the Mid-Atlantic, they could bring an estimated $80 billion to Virginia, and more than 5,000 long-term jobs.
• Senator John Watkins
  • Arizona's immigration law isn't the only one – The Los Angeles Times - Many states have their own regulations governing illegal immigrants. And five states have introduced bills similar to Arizona's SB 1070, which is the target of a federal lawsuit.
  • Watkins On Surplus- "It's Not Extra Money Left Over" – WTVR.com - Many Virginians who have lost state jobs in recent months might have had a hard time watching Governor Bob McDonnell discuss a 2010 surplus.
  • What Will Medicaid Expansion Cost You? – WTVR.com - In 2014, up to 425- thousand Virginians could gain health insurance under the federal expansion of Medicaid. According to a recent study by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, that's good news for a state where it's currently difficult to qualify for Medicaid.

The following are articles from newspapers, blogs, and other news sources throughout the Commonwealth and the country featuring members of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus.

• Senator Steve Newman
  • Senator Newman Considers Plan For Private Liquor Sales – WSET.com - Governor McDonnell continues to push for a plan to privatize liquor sales in the commonwealth. It could generate up to half-a-billion dollars a year, which the governor's office says would be used to improve transportation.
• Senator Tommy Norment
  • Pay-for-judge requirement for disputed divorces – Daily Press - Looking to divorce in York County or Poquoson? If contested, it's going to cost $250 an hour just for the judge.
  • York Notebook: Deputy prosecutor in mix for judge's seat – WTVR.com - A new name — and potential impasse breaker — has emerged in the ongoing stalemate between two state lawmakers regarding an appointment to fill the York-Poquoson Circuit Court judge's seat vacant since N. Prentis Smiley died in late 2008.
• Senator Frank Ruff
  • McDonnell to return from overseas trip tomorrow – Richmond Times-Dispatch - Gov. Bob McDonnell hopes to return from his first foreign trade mission with jobs for central Virginia.
• Senator Walter Stosch
  • Virginia Tax: Income tax burden shifts to higher-income Virginians – Taxrates.cc - While high-income Virginians are paying proportionally more income tax than a decade ago, analysts warn income tax alone gives an incomplete picture of how the state's tax burden is spread out.
• Senator Jill Vogel
  • Winchester looks to "go green" – TV3Winchester.com - When you think about "going green", it may be hard to imagine what we could do to have an impact, but Thursday leaders took the first step to move our community in that direction.
• Senator Frank Wagner
  • Going Solar in Virginia Isn't All That Easy – SolarTown - Thanks to severe home improvement regulations from homeowners associations (HOAs), as well as lack of state-funded incentives, residents and business owners in Virginia are waging an uphill battle to go solar.
• Senator John Watkins
  • Many support high-speed rail plan, but some worry about overpasses – The Progress-Index - The comments rolled in as folks shared their concerns and hopes for proposed high speed rail service connecting Washington, D.C., and Raleigh, N.C., through the Tri-Cities.