Several pieces of my legislative agenda are advancing through the House and headed to the Senate.  For example, industrial residual application to farm land in Hanover, King William, and New Kent counties has remained a tremendous concern for our district.  Therefore, I introduced HB 1364 to allow local governments to provide for the testing and monitoring of the land application of industrial residual.  It is my hope that this monitoring will assure our residents of safe groundwater and protection from other health issues that may come from the application of "sludge."  HB 1364 passed the House of Delegates unanimously by a vote of 97-0.

Virginia must remain a safe place to live, work and raise a family.  To that end, I am working on legislation to prevent any future deaths of children in private care.  HB 2082 will grant civil immunity, basically extend our current Good Samaritan laws, to individuals who forcible enter a motor vehicle to remove an unattended minor at risk of serious bodily injury or death.  We have had too many senseless tragedies in our area due to small children being left in overheated cars.  This measure reported from the Courts of Justice Committee without objection and will receive a full House floor vote next week.   

Social media has a significant impact on our daily lives, so as online activity increases, I am concerned about the protection of your online privacy.  HB 2081 is a measure to prohibit an employer from requiring, requesting, or causing a current or prospective employee to disclose the username and password to their current or prospective employee's social media account.  This measure passed unanimously through the Committee on Commerce and Labor, and will no head to a full floor vote.   

House pages from Hanover hold the Chamber doors for Delegates

These bills are just a snap shot of the work I am doing on your behalf.  As always, my ultimate goal as your Delegate has been to work to keep taxes low, encourage job creation in the private sector, support our schools, make our communities safer, and provide prompt constituent service. While we may not always prevail, the fight for middle class families, more jobs, and less taxes is a fight worth fighting.

Click to read my RTD Sunday Commentary 

No matter what team you're rooting for this Super Bowl

Sunday, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) wants to make sure you select a sober driver to get you home if you plan to drink during the big game.

It is important to make plans for a safe ride home before you start drinking so your judgment isn't impaired. A list of DMV-approved transportation services is available on the agency's website.

Drunk driving was a factor in 27 percent of crash fatalities in Virginia last year. According to preliminary data, alcohol-related crashes killed 188 people in Virginia in 2014.

"Be a winner. Don't drink and drive. There's too much riding on it," said DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb, the Governor's Highway Safety Representative. "Celebrate responsibly. If you plan to drink, select a sober driver or another safe way home. But even if you're walking home, you still need to use caution. Intoxicated pedestrians have trouble focusing on their surroundings and could walk into traffic."

DMV recommends the following tips for safe travel for motorists and pedestrians:

• Arrange a ride before the celebration. This way you can't be tempted to drive after drinking. Though a small amount of alcohol affects one's brain and the ability to drive, people often don't realize they might be impaired after a couple of drinks. Failure to recognize alcohol impairment is a symptom of impairment.
• Honor your role. If you are the designated driver, take your role seriously and don't drink alcohol. You need to be sober, not just less intoxicated than your friends.
• Always wear your seat belt. Designated drivers should always buckle up and make sure everyone in the vehicle is also wearing their seat belt.
• Don't walk alone. If you've been drinking, ask a sober friend to walk you home. Stick to sidewalks and well-lit areas and cross streets using crosswalks when it is safe to do so. Not crossing at an intersection or crosswalk is the leading cause of pedestrian fatalities.
• Use extra caution while walking at night. If you are walking home in the dark, wear reflective clothing or take a flashlight. Dusk and dawn are the most dangerous times of the day for walkers.

Dr. Leonard Edloe, of Mechanicsville, was presented with a Commending Resolution Chief Patroned by Delegate Peace in the 2014 Special Session.  Dr. Edloe visited the General Assembly on January 28, 2015 on Virginia

Dr. Edloe displays his resolution

 Pharmacy Association lobby day.  As the recipient of the 2014 Hugo H. Schaefer Award from the American

Pharmacists Association, 

Dr. Edloe was commended for his commitment to community service.

Click here to read the commending resolution 

I have had many visitors from home this week at the General Assembly. I enjoyed speaking with local constitutional 

Del. Peace listening to the concerns of local constitutional officers. Pictured is Scott Harris, Hanover County Commissioner of the Revenue

officers including Hanover County Commissioner of the Revenue Scott Harris.  I met with Hanover School Board Chairman Robert Hundley Jr. and Vice Chairman Hank Lowry in the Capitol to discuss education policy. In addition, I met with Mechanicsville resident Jeri Francis, from Healthy Families.

Signing our guest book this week were Mechanicsville residents Kathryn Mauch, Amy Bossieux, Romel Edmonson, Cathy & Lisa Kuhn, Mark & Winnie Southworth, Wayne Lauterbach, Dan and Barbara Wolf, Jenny Young, John McChesney, Jeri Francis, Cathy Easter, Alexandra Hernandez, Chris Lythgoe, Maria Salgerdo, Paul Adam, Benjamin Waitman, and Kathy Clark. 

Hanover School Board members visit the Capitol and meet with Del. Peace

New Kent residents seen in the halls of the General Assembly were Karen Lange, Mary Lou Wassel Julie Taylor, Lily Kuhn, and Gloria Beil. 

King William constituent visitors included Eugene Rivara, Sarah Crumbly, Kristen Kite and family, Harry White, and William Barber.

As always, I look forward to more smiling faces from home next week.

If you are planning a visit during session, stop by and visit, I am in Room 527 of the General Assembly Building.