REPORT FROM DELEGATE MCDOUGLE

2003 GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION

Cross-Over Day is Tuesday, February 4^th, which is the most exhausting yet exhilarating time of the session.  Cross-Over Day takes place when House bills are voted on and the successful bills continue to the Senate and vice versa.  Senate bills “cross over” to the House to be considered and the process begins all over again.  We have been working late evenings to consider the remaining House bills.  For example, I served on a committee meeting on Friday, January 31^st that lasted well past midnight.  The House even convened this Saturday to debate and discuss important measures that will affect all Virginians. 

On Sunday, February 2^nd, the budget amendments from the House and Senate were announced.  This is a crucial time for all legislators as we decide what the Senate and House will do to compromise on a Budget that is fiscally responsible in our time of budget shortfall.  The Speaker of the House and Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee announced that House amendments to the current 2002-2004 Budget will fully fund the re-opening of all 12 Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Customer Service Centers closed by Governor Warner last year.  The funds also will be sufficient to ensure that all 73 DMV centers statewide are re-opened on Wednesdays.  Since November 1, 2002, all DMV Customer Service Centers statewide have been closed on Wednesdays because of Governor Warner’s budget cuts.  Virginia residents are tired of waiting in long lines at the DMV and I support this effort by Republican leadership to restore the level of customer service that Virginians were accustomed to three months ago. 

Republican leaders also announced this past week that House budget amendments will provide more general fund dollars for K-12 public education than what was proposed by Governor Warner.  In his introduced budget amendments, Governor Warner proposed cutting $20 million from a school construction subsidy program that would have funded approximately $200 million in local school construction projects.  The House Appropriations Committee will propose several actions that will restore $12 million to the local school construction program eliminated by Governor Warner’s actions.  These funds, in turn, will be leveraged – resulting in approximately $120 million in loans for 32 much-needed school construction projects throughout Virginia.     

Along with these events of the week, eight of my bills have passed through committee process and were voted on by the full House of Delegates.  I am very pleased that my bill to toughen penalties for possession of child pornography will now be heard by the Senate Courts of Justice Committee.  I was excited to have been interviewed by Channel 6 about passage of this important piece of legislation that is part of Attorney General Kilgore’s legislative agenda.

Another important measure I sponsored will add emergency services employees to the Line of Duty Act.  It is gratifying to see that a majority of my bills have passed the House floor and will be heard by the Senate in the next two weeks. 

As always, please continue to contact me with your thoughts on legislation currently being heard by the General Assembly.  I am pleased by the large number of constituent inquiries this session.  Thank you for keeping me informed of your thoughts and I look forward to seeing you soon. 

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McDougle Legislation Helps In Unsolved Criminal Cases

– New DNA Law Leads to Positive Results Statewide –

RICHMOND – Delegate Ryan T. McDougle (R-Hanover) announced today that after only six months, important legal successes have resulted from key DNA evidence legislation that he sponsored in the 2002 General Assembly session. 

“I am very pleased that law enforcement has another tool to keep violent criminals off our streets.  I joined with Attorney General Jerry Kilgore to patron this bill through the General Assembly.  After only six months, this legislation has already produced dramatic results.  Numerous unsolved criminal cases are being closed and violent criminals are being brought to justice,” said Delegate McDougle. 

McDougle’s legislation, which became law January 1, 2003, allows for more DNA samples to be analyzed by the Division of Forensic Science for possible matches in the DNA unsolved crimes database.  Police officers capture the DNA with a saliva swab, which can be attained at the same time as fingerprints.  Since January, the new DNA sample requirement has already produced clues to 30 unsolved crimes across Virginia, including one murder and at least three rapes. 

Virginia was the first state to use DNA analysis as a law enforcement tool.  The Commonwealth’s DNA database was started in 1989 and is the largest in the country.  Thanks to this legislation, crimes are being solved more efficiently. 

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Delegate McDougle To Seek Another Term

McDougle’s Announcement to Run at Virginia Capitol

RICHMOND – Today Delegate Ryan McDougle (R – Hanover) announced his intention to seek another term in the Virginia House of Delegates.  During his first term in the House of Delegates, McDougle served on the Courts of Justice, Transportation, and General Laws committees.  McDougle took an active approach as a leader among his colleagues at the Virginia General Assembly.

During this year’s session, McDougle sponsored, House Bill 1683, which removes a provision that bars the Commonwealth from prosecuting criminals. This new bill would allow Virginia and the Federal government to prosecute these defendants, such as those of the Mohammad/Malvo sniper shootings, for the same heinous crimes.  This bill awaits the Governor’s signature to become law.

Attorney General Jerry Kilgore asked Delegate McDougle to carry an Anti-Child Pornography bill as a part of his legislative package during the 2003 General Assembly session.  The bill would establish a Child Pornography Images Registry within the Computer Crimes Unit of the Office of the Attorney General.  The Registry of images would be used as a cross-reference for investigation and as evidence for conviction of related offenses.  McDougle’s bill also increases penalties for child pornography possession from a misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony and second and subsequent offenses to a Class 5 felony.  This bill also awaits the Governor’s signature. 

“We introduced a set of bills for this session, which will make criminals more accountable for their actions, make our homes safer from the unseen intrusion of internet predators, and help rid our streets of drug dealers,” said McDougle.

        McDougle says his primary focuses have been balancing the budget, making education initiatives a priority, creating new jobs, and protecting our communities. 

“I am look forward to the upcoming campaign.  Campaign season is the time when I really have the opportunity to talk to the people in my district.  I have several ruritan, rotary and civic group meetings on my schedule already.  I am also gearing up for my door-to-door walking.  This gives me the chance to talk to people in my district one on one.  Talking to my constituents is so important to me because I am able to hear their concerns and represent them even better during the General Assembly session each year,” said McDougle. 

McDougle was recently married to his wife, Bea.  They have a new home in Mechanicsville. 

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