Virginia Chamber of Commerce
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Chamber Briefings 
February 12, 2016
Upcoming Events

SAVE THE DATE for these upcoming events:
 
2016 Fantastic 50 Awards
April 28
Westfields Marriott, Chantilly

2016 Energy, Sustainability & Resiliency Conference
May 10
Greater Richmond Convention Center

Virginia Chamber Annual Dinner and Legislative Awards
May 17
Richmond

2016 Health Care Conference
June 9
Greater Richmond Convention Center
Member News
President's Message

Barry DuVal
This week marked the last full week of session before crossover. After crossover, which is on February 17th this year, each house will only be able to hear bills that originated in the other house. Of the more than 2700 bills and resolutions that were introduced this year, there are still over 1800 "pending," so there is still much work to be done.

One bill that we are keeping a close eye on as we approach crossover is SB111, which would raise the punitive damages cap from $350,000 to $500,000. The bill passed the Senate last week. The Virginia Chamber opposes this bill and we will keep you posted on its status.

We were pleased to see the Supreme Court issue a stay regarding implementation of the Clean Power Plan. We have long expressed our opposition to the plan, and you can read more about our continued fight below.

As we begin to look toward the spring, I hope you'll mark your calendars for our upcoming events. Registration information and more details regarding the agendas will be available soon.
Bills We're Watching

Our bill tracking system, "Bills We're Watching," provides a quick and easy way for our members to stay abreast of all legislation pertinent to business. Short, concise summaries of each bill are provided along with the Chamber's "thumbs-up" or "thumbs-down" position.

Click on the image above to view Bills We're Watching. 


Last week, the Senate of Virginia passed SB 111, which would raise the punitive damages cap in Virginia to $500,000. At a time when Virginia has been dropping in every business and legal climate ranking, it is unwise to pass SB 111 which will put us at a disadvantage with other states, such as North Carolina who have reduced their punitive damages cap to $250,000.  

SB 111 passed the Senate with a vote of 26-14, and it is imperative that we do not allow this bill to pass the House. We will be expressing our opposition to this bill to the House and will be releasing a "call to action" to our members on this issue before it is heard in the House.

To view the Virginia Chamber's one pager on SB111, click here.
Supreme Court Stays Implementation of Clean Power Plan

This week the US Supreme Court granted a stay, halting implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan, part of the Obama administration's ambitious proposal to limit carbon emissions, pending the resolution of legal challenges to the program in court.  The stay blocks all EPA implementation and enforcement of the Clean Power Plan until judicial review is complete. The court granted a stay request from more than two dozen states, plus utilities and coal companies.

Litigation challenging the legality of the Clean Power Plan has been ongoing from 27 states as well as a host of business, labor, and advocacy groups and is currently before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. While, unfortunately, Virginia is not one of the 27 states included in the legal challenge, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce recently decided to join other state and local chambers in an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief. The brief will argue that the Clean Power Plan harms state and local economies with little to no benefit, and that it violates federal law by upsetting the balance between federal and state regulatory authority.

The stay by the Supreme Court does not change the briefing schedule in the D.C. Circuit Court. Arguments are set to be heard on June 2, 2016 with a decision likely in 2016.  If the Supreme Court then decides to take up the case, it could hear arguments sometime during 2017.
House of Delegates passes GO Virginia Legislation

The Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday passed HB 834 and HB 846, the legislative centerpieces of the "Virginia Initiative for Growth and Opportunity in Each Region" or GO Virginia. GO Virginia is a business-led, bipartisan initiative to provide a new framework for strengthening Virginia's economy by encouraging collaboration between business leaders, the education community, local government, and state government.
 
House Bill 834, carried by House Majority Leader Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) and Delegate Luke Torian (D-Prince William), establishes the Growth and Opportunity Board, the framework for local regional boards, and the "GO! Grant" program to provide start-up funding for innovative and transformational projects to boost private sector growth. HB834 passed the House 93 to 7.

House Bill 846, carried by House Majority Caucus Chairman Tim Hugo (R-Fairfax), Delegate Randy Minchew (R-Loudoun), and Delegate Matthew James (D-Portsmouth), incentivizes localities to work together on economic development by allowing the participating localities to receive a portion of the tax revenues resulting from the collaboration. The six year grant will equal up to half of the tax revenues from the joint project. In order to qualify for the grant localities must have a cost and revenue sharing plan, meet a standard for number of jobs created. and have a specific plan for the use of the grant funds. House Bill 846 passed 93 to 5.
95 Express Lanes Public Information Meeting
The proposed project involves extending the southern terminus of the 95 Express Lanes by approximately two miles with a reversible single lane that splits into northbound and southbound merge ramps. A new southbound end point will carry express lanes traffic past Route 610 (Garrisonville Road) and back into the I-95 southbound regular lanes. A new left entry from northbound I-95 will be located south of Route 610. Improvements are intended to lessen congestion at the entrance and exit points of the 95 Express Lanes in Stafford.
 
Construction is estimated to begin later this year, and be completed in 2018. The southern extension of the 95 Express Lanes is being done in partnership by VDOT and Transurban.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 6-8 p.m.  
*Snow Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2016, 6-8 p.m 
Presentations at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.
800 Eustace Road, Stafford, VA 22554
General Assembly Resources





Interested in International Expansion? Take Advantage of VITAL!
The Virginia Chamber is proud to partner with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership on VITAL, the Virginia International Trade Alliance. As a VITAL partner, our member companies have access to steeply discounted rates for international market research as well as international trade shows and international trade missions facilitated through VEDP. 
 

Click below for more information:

If you or a company that you work with is interested in learning more about VITAL, please contact Samantha Quig, Deputy Director of Communications, at s.quig@vachamber.com or 804-237-1457.
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