Commentary 

Proposed State Constitutional Amendments

Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum

Mark Tuesday, November 2, as Election Day on your calendar.  Polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Vote at your usual polling place; if you do not know the location, go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb.  In addition to the Congressional election there will be three amendments proposed for the Constitution of Virginia. 

The process of amending the Constitution of Virginia requires that a proposed amendment be introduced and passed in the General Assembly twice with an intervening election for members of the Assembly, and then be passed by the people in a general election.  Many voters are surprised when they see constitutional amendments on the ballot, but they actually have been under consideration for several years.  I voted for the three amendments twice in the General Assembly and recommend that they be approved in the general election.

The first question asks:  "Shall Section 6 of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to authorize legislation that will permit localities to establish their own income or financial worth limitations for purposes of granting property tax relief for homeowners not less than 65 years of age or permanently and totally disabled?"  The proposed amendment gives the General Assembly authority to permit localities to determine their own income or financial worth limitations for tax exemptions for persons 65 years of age or older or for persons permanently and totally disabled.

Another question asks:  "Shall the Constitution be amended to require the General Assembly to provide a real property tax exemption for the principal residence of a veteran, or his or her surviving spouse, if the veteran has a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability?"  The proposed amendment would require the General Assembly to pass a law exempting from local taxation the principal residence owned and occupied by any veteran with a one hundred percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability.  The veteran's surviving spouse could continue to claim the exemption so long as he or she does not remarry and continues to occupy the home as his or her principal residence.

The final question asks:  "Shall Section 8 of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to increase the permissible size of the Revenue Stabilization Fund (also known as the "rainy day fund") from 10 percent to 15 percent of the Commonwealth's average annual tax revenues derived from income and retail sales taxes for the preceding three fiscal years?"  The proposed constitutional amendment increases the maximum size of the Fund from 10 percent to 15 percent of the Commonwealth's average annual tax revenues from income and sales taxes for the preceding three fiscal years.  This amendment was proposed after the rainy day fund that had reached two billion dollars before the current recession had helped soften the effects of the recession, but the need for a greater cushion became obvious.

If you have questions concerning the amendments, please email me at kenplum@aol.com or call my office weekday mornings at 703.758.9733.