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Peace Progress
2014 Session Update
Week Six
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February 14, 2014
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Happy Valentine's Day to all. 
 
House Republican leaders in the Virginia House of Delegates highlighted their legislative agenda at the midpoint of the 2014 session at a press conference Wednesday in Richmond. Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) was joined by members of the House Republican leadership team, House Appropriations Committee Chairman S. Chris Jones (R-Suffolk), Delegate Rob Bell (R-Albemarle), Delegate Tag Greason (R-Loudoun) and others to highlight legislation on key issues like ethics, transparency and disclosure, mental health, the Standards of Learning, transportation and public safety. The group highlighted over three dozen specific pieces of legislation that passed the House of Delegates during the 2014 General Assembly session.
  
"We have had a remarkably strong start to this General Assembly session," declared House Speaker Bill Howell. "On nearly every major issue, the House Republican caucus has been leading the effort to build a stronger Virginia for businesses and families.
  
Legislation"On kitchen table issues we continue to offer a positive, forward-thinking vision to strengthen Virginia's economy, improve our schools and keep our neighborhoods safe. This year, we have enacted legislation to incentivize job creators, streamline how Virginia spends its transportation dollars, reform the Standards of Learning, and combat domestic and sexual violence.
 
"On the major policy challenges facing the Commonwealth we are offering substantive, detailed solutions. We passed a strong package of mental health reforms to ensure that access to care is available to anyone who needs it, we pushed a bipartisan, comprehensive ethics reform bill that passed the House 98 to 1, and we have charted a responsible, prudent approach to reforming Medicaid. We are committed to crafting a structurally balanced budget based on Virginia's traditionally conservative approach while making targeted investments in key areas like higher education and health care.
 
"I am incredibly proud of the work we have accomplished so far this year, and I look forward to continuing that work during the second half of the General Assembly session."
 
House Majority Leader Kirk Cox said the more than three dozen bills in areas like economic development, K-12 education, public safety and government reform stand as proof that the House of Delegates is leading in Richmond.

"Throughout the last ten years, the House of Delegates has made a concerted effort to put results before politics," said Cox. "This year, we have continued that by focusing on the issues that Virginians care about most. The contrast between our substantive, detailed and lengthy agenda and others in Richmond could not be clearer. The work is not easy, but it must be done and the House of Delegates is proud to carry that banner."
 
Deputy Majority Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah), Delegate Rob Bell (R-Albemarle) and Delegate Tag Greason (R-Loudoun) highlighted the work of the House on ethics reform, mental health and education.
 
"Early last fall, we began to look at ways to enact meaningful reforms to Virginia's ethics, transparency and disclosure laws," said Delegate Gilbert. "I am very proud of the bipartisan, comprehensive ethics reform bill the House of Delegates passed yesterday. This legislation will strengthen accountability, promote greater transparency and help preserve trust in government."
 
"Too often in the last several years, Virginians have witnessed the devastating effects that result from critical gaps in mental health care," said Delegate Bell. "We took a number of steps after the 2007 tragedy at Virginia Tech. The tragedy that struck Senator Creigh Deeds and his family spurred us once again to take a close look at how we could improve our system. We passed a strong package of reforms that will give law enforcement greater flexibility to respond to mental health crises, make it easier for mental health professionals to find available beds in facilities and, if none are available, ensure that no individual who needs care is turned away untreated. I want to thank Delegate Ben Cline and the other members of the mental health subcommittee for their work. We look forward to working with members of the Senate to find common ground on this important issue."
 
"Virginia has one of the best public education systems in the country, filled with great educators who want to help our children succeed," said Delegate Greason. "Our job in Richmond is to empower those educators with the tools, resources and opportunities to do their job. This year, the House passed legislation that will reduce the number of SOL tests students take by 23 percent, giving teachers more opportunities to teach and freeing students from the pressure of over-testing. Our blended learning model of virtual classrooms will expand access to education for all students. This package builds on the innovative changes made last year and demonstrates our long term commitment to Virginia's students, teachers and educators."
  
  
  

Peace Bill to Aid Victims of Crime Passes House

-- Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund Reform Bill Passes House--

 

House Bill 885, patroned by Delegate Christopher K. Peace (R-Hanover) passed the House of Delegates by a vote of 99-0. The measure joins other legislative and budgetary efforts this session to provide aid and assistance to victims of violent crime.

 

HB 885 would make it the policy of the Commonwealth to allow the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund to extend the time for filing a claim, to innocent victims of crime, if the prosecutor submits written notice that the crime is being investigated as a result of newly discovered evidence.

 

Hanover County's Commonwealth Attorney Trip Chalkley brought the proposal to Delegate Peace based on a cold hit rape case from 1984 which he subsequently successfully prosecuted. As a result of the new trial, the victim incurred costs associated with counseling services. Compensation for those services was denied based on case law and a gap in the statutes. Peace's legislation corrects this problem and will allow this victim and any future cold hit case victims to access justifiable restitution.

 

Speaking to the bill, "As technology catches up with our legal system, new scientific evidence may result in the successful prosecution of cold cases. These injured victims should be afforded to opportunity to apply to the Fund for restitution for their injuries," stated Peace.

 

Chalkley praised Delegate Peace on this bill, saying "I appreciate Delegate Peace's leadership in sponsoring and ensuring the passage of this bill. It takes great steps in compensating victims in some way for the indignities and costs born by the attacks on them." He also said, "It is important that the legislature recognized that 'cold case victims' are as worthy of compensation as those previously covered under the statute."

 

According to their website, the Criminal Injury Compensation Fund (CICF), was created in 1977 to pay unreimbursed expenses of victims who suffer personal physical or emotional injury or death as a result of a crime. The Fund receives no tax dollars from the citizens of Virginia. CICF is funded by court fees, assessments on offenders, restitution, and a federal Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) Grant to supplement monies available to victims of violent crime. To learn more about CICF visit their website at here
Visitors
 

Visiting this week at the Capitol, Kathy and Mike Healey, Casey O'Berry, and Lisa Wilson of Mechanicsville stopped by with Hanover ARC to talk about ID/DD waiver slots.  Also visiting was Sandy Sanders of Mechanicsville. 

 

On Tuesday, which was law enforcement day, I welcomed Sheriff Wakie Howard of New Kent and Sheriff Jeff Walton of King William. 

 

Wednesday was Farm Bureau Day.  I was happy to see William Barber and Charles Piersa of King William along with Gloria Beil and Brenda Portluck of New Kent.  Also visiting on Wednesday were Realtors from across the District. 

 

Dr. Kelley Dodson of Mechanicsville shared her stance on issues of importance to her and her community. 

 

  

I look forward to learning more about the wonderful people of our area doing such great things and of course more smiling faces from home next week. If you are planning to come to the Capitol during session, stop by and visit, I am in Room 527 of the General Assembly Building.  
 

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