CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
Spring 2017 Issue |
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Legislative Update
By James Pickral
PSV Lobbyist
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James Pickral |
PSV Reconvened Session Report
On April 5, the General Assembly met to consider the Governor’s amendments and vetoes of various pieces of legislation. This year, Governor McAuliffe vetoed 40 bills. All of his vetoes were sustained, which means the General Assembly was unable to override any of them. None of the legislation of concern to PSV was amended significantly. Below are some highlights of the Reconvened Session.
Budget
Of note, Governor McAuliffe amended the budget to once again include Medicaid expansion. That amendment was rejected by the House of Delegates by a party line vote of 66-34. The Governor will have one last chance to expand Medicaid in the Commonwealth in his upcoming biennial budget.
Marijuana Decriminalization
Earlier this year, Senator Tommy Norment (R) requested that the Virginia Crime Commission study the decriminalization of marijuana in the Commonwealth. That request was rejected. However, the Crime Commission has now acceded to his request and that study will go forward.
Additional Retirements
Delegate Dave Albo (R, Fairfax), Chair of the House Courts of Justice Committee, announced his retirement on the floor of the House during the Reconvened Session. Delegate Albo is a long serving and influential member of the General Assembly. His seat is quite possibly a pick up for Democrats. Here is a complete list of retirements so far:
Delegate Peter Farrell
(R, 56th District)
Delegate Bill Howell
(R, 28th District)
Delegate Jimmie Massie
(R, 72nd District)
Delegate Dave Albo
(R, 42nd District)
Delegate Glenn Davis
(R, 84th District
Delegate Mark Dudenhefer
(R, 2nd District)
Delegate Rick Morris
(R, 64th District)
Additionally, the following are running for other offices. If successful they will vacate their current seats.
Senator Jill Vogel
(R, 27th District)
Delegate Jackson Miller
(R, 50th District)
Senator Bryce Reeves
(R, 17th District)
Delegate Daun Hester
(D, 89th District)
Senator Frank Wagner
(R, 7th District)
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PSV 2017
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Virginia Beach Resort Hotel
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