McDougle Reaffirms Commitment To Fight King William Reservoir

Delegate’s comments come as legislature considers

three bills seeking to advance controversial reservoir

Richmond, Virginia, January 26: Delegate Ryan T. McDougle (R-Mechanicsville) today reiterated his long-standing opposition to the proposed creation of a reservoir in King William County.  His comments come as the General Assembly considers three bills that seek to expedite the process of building the controversial reservoir.

“I am actively working to defeat these efforts to bypass the current regulatory process,” McDougle said.  “Numerous experts and citizens had the opportunity to voice their support and opposition to the Reservoir Project last year before the permits were denied.  These bills look to silence the voices of all people.”

House Bill 797 and Senate Bill 420, patroned by Hampton Roads legislators, both bypass the regulatory process and would force the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) to convey a permanent easement of portions of the Mattaponi River, Cohoke Creek, and the Pamunkey River to the City of Newport News.  The easement would allow Newport News to design and construct the reservoir and a water intake structure for the Newport News project.  While the House bill is currently awaiting review in the Committee on Agriculture, the Senate companion bill was reported last Wednesday from the Senate Courts of Justice Committee.  On Monday, the Senate voted to re-refer bill for review by the full Committee on Agriculture.

The third bill, Senate Bill 109, while not mentioning the King William Reservoir specifically, seeks to exempt a water supply project from obtaining a permit from the VMRC.  This is yet another vehicle to shortcut the process entirely.  The VMRC voted in May, 2003 to deny the necessary permit for this project citing the adverse affects it would have on marine resources and the American shad restoration.  Should this bill pass, the City of Newport News would be able to acquire these permits easily.

“All three measures will minimize the tremendous public outcry against the proposed reservoir,” McDougle said.  “The people of King William and King & Queen Counties who would be adversely affected by the reservoir have been clear and consistent in their opposition to this plan.  Due in large part to their opposition and to the testimony of scientists studying the environmental impact of the reservoir, the VMRC voted to deny the permit sought by the City of Newport News.  Now, Newport News is seeking to bypass the long-standing regulatory process currently in place for handling these issues.”

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Sierra Club, and Alliance to Save the Mattaponi are working with McDougle in opposition to all three bills.  These organizations have worked for years to defeat the King William Reservoir proposal. 

“These bills must be defeated,” McDougle said.  “The only way for that to happen is for the public to make their feelings known to the legislature, the Attorney General, and the Governor.  The people of King William and King & Queen Counties need to contact their legislators, but also need to get their friends and relatives in every part of the Commonwealth to do the same.  I urge everyone to contact their legislator, the Attorney General, and the Governor’s office and tell them that these measures set a dangerous precedent for our environment in the Commonwealth.”

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McDougle Presents Diverse Legislative Agenda

As session opens, Delegate presents 24 bills as part of his 2004 package

Richmond, Virginia, January 23: Delegate Ryan T. McDougle (R-Mechanicsville) has introduced an array of measures that seek to promote public safety and control government spending to be considered during this year’s General Assembly Session.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us in this year’s session,” McDougle said.  “We are strongly focused on the budget, but that is just one of many serious matters that will be addressed this year.  Over 2,500 bills and resolutions have been presented so far this session.  My colleagues and I are working hard to ensure that the people’s business is carried out as efficiently as possible.”

Among McDougle’s legislative package is House Bill 777, which was inspired by the prolonged power outages that followed Hurricane Isabel.  This bill requires a motorist approaching an intersection with a non-functioning traffic light to treat the intersection as if there is a stop sign at each corner.  “When Hurricane Isabel struck, there was confusion among motorists about how to handle intersections where traffic lights were out,” McDougle commented.  “While the message was put out to treat these intersections like a 4-way stop sign, I was surprised to find the concept was not in the law.  Having a set standard is important for future power outages so that drivers will know what to do and it can be enforced.”  The bill will be heard before the House Transportation Committee.

Another of McDougle’s public safety bills mandates that the driver’s licenses of repeat drunk driving offenders to be suspended.  “Each year, too many Virginians are involved in accidents involving drunk drivers,” McDougle commented.  “What is particularly tragic is that most drunk drivers are repeat offenders.  We need to do everything we can to keep repeat offenders off of our roads in order to protect our families.”  House Bill 779 seeks to solve this problem by having the DMV suspend the driver’s licenses of persons who have been arrested for multiple drunk driving violations while they are awaiting trial.  The bill is currently under review in the House Courts of Justice Committee.

McDougle also submitted a Constitutional amendment to limit government spending in Virginia.  “Even with Virginia’s recent budget shortfalls, there is still no provision to keep our budget from skyrocketing well beyond our means in future years,” McDougle said.  In order to address this problem, he has introduced a Constitutional amendment to limit the amount by which a given year’s budget may grow.  “We need to limit our spending growth, even in years with budget surpluses, in order to prevent having to make substantial cuts during economic downturns.  This amendment is a first step towards fiscal responsibility,” McDougle continued.  In order to amend the Constitution, House Joint Resolution 145 will have to pass both this year and in 2006 when a new legislature convenes.  The bill will be discussed in the House Committee on Privileges and Elections next week.

“We have a good legislative package this year,” McDougle noted.  “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to ensure these bills and other positive legislation are passed and implemented.  Please feel free to contact my office with any questions or concerns that you may have.  I also hope that many of you will stop by our office at Capitol Square during the General Assembly Session.” 

During Session, Delegate McDougle may be reached by phone at (804) 698-1097, by fax at (804) 786-6310, or by e-mail at del_mcdougle@house.state.va.us.  His office is Room 517 of the General Assembly Building.

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