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Senator McDougle’s 2006 Assembly Update
While the 11 members of the budget conference committee work out the final negotiations of the biennial budget, most of the General Assembly’s work for the 2006 session is coming to a close. For the past 60 days, transportation and budget issues have been the primary focus for the legislature, yet my colleagues and I have also worked on many other important initiatives as we discussed, debated and voted on nearly 3,000 pieces of legislation. I am pleased that members of the Senate and the House have agreed on many significant measures that will make our communities safer, improve efficiency of our state government and positively impact the lives of the citizens of the Commonwealth.
As I noted at the beginning of this year’s legislative session, one of my main focuses has always been public safety, in particular keeping our children and our families safe from sexual predators. This year, I introduced several pieces of legislation to crack down on sex offenders and increase penalties for those who harm our children. My Senate Bill 376 established a minimum mandatory 25-year prison term for serious sexual offenses with children under the age of 13 and requires the use of electronic GPS monitoring for persons convicted of serious crimes against children. My bill was rolled into the Chairman of the Senate Courts Committee’s SB559. This bill is a comprehensive re-write of Virginia’s existing sex-offender laws and enacts serious penalties for those who commit these types of heinous crimes. My colleagues in both the House and Senate voted unanimously in favor of these increased penalties and protections. Our children, our families and our communities deserve to be protected and kept safe, and SB559 will now be an important tool for law enforcement and prosecutors in taking action against dangerous sexual predators.
Additionally, I introduced Senate Bill 578, which establishes a presumption against bail in cases of serious sex crimes against children. While current law allows a person to be presumed ineligible for bail only when charged with a second such offense, our children deserve greater protection under the law. By establishing the presumption of ineligibility for bail in these types of cases, we can further ensure our children are kept safe while justice is being carried out. I was pleased that both the House and Senate again voted unanimously to approve this measure and have sent it to the Governor.
Though the discussions over the budget continue, one of my objectives has been to stand on behalf of Virginia’s taxpayers and support measures that will allow them to keep as much of their money as possible. I am pleased that my Senate Bill 571 creates a Back-to-School-Sales-Tax holiday and is expected to become law. This measure will provide relief for thousands of Virginia families this fall as they prepare to send their children back to school. For 3 days in August, families will not have to pay the state sales tax on school supplies $20 or less and clothing and footwear $100 or less per item. This will give Virginia families a break each year as they spend hundreds of dollars to provide their children the essential supplies they need for school. This will also allow Virginia’s retailers and businesses to remain competitive with surrounding states that already offer similar sales-tax holidays.
The House and the Senate have approved legislation to eliminate Virginia’s “Death Tax.” I worked with the Senator Floor Leader as my Senate Bill 659 was incorporated to his measure, which conforms the Virginia estate tax to the federal phase out. The House of Delegates passed a bill that was more similar to my original measure to fully eliminate the estate tax, and the two bills are now in conference committee so that both chambers can agree on the final language to send to the Governor. I am encouraged as the Governor has said that he favors a full phase out of this unnecessary and burdensome tax on our small and family owned businesses and family farms. The full repeal of the Death Tax will be a positive move for Virginia’s economy, making the Commonwealth more attractive for economic development and jobs.
Another one of my initiatives this year was Senate Bill 385, which recognizes the Virginia military families serving our country by creating a Military Tax Relief Fund. These brave men and women, as well as their families, make great sacrifices for our freedom and our security. This bill provides individuals the ability to contribute part or all of their income tax refund to the Military Family Relief Fund of Virginia. The Adjutant General of the National Guard utilizes this fund to provide monetary grants to active National Guard members and reservists. I am pleased that this concept gained the unanimous support of the members of the General Assembly. It is a small way we can thank Virginia’s military families for all they do for us, and I look forward to the Governor signing this into law.
The session is scheduled to adjourn on Saturday, March 11th, though different positions on higher taxes may push us into overtime. My position continues to be that with our steady economic growth in the Commonwealth, we must remain fiscally responsible and find ways to fund necessary programs without tax increases. My constituents have been very clear—they do not support higher taxes. I voted against legislation to raise the gas tax, increase the motor vehicle sales tax, increase insurance premiums and increase the grantor’s tax for those selling their homes. Legislators must be good stewards of the hard-earned dollars that Virginians send to Richmond, and as your representative, I will continue to support efforts to improve efficiency and increase accountability in our government operations.
I have appreciated hearing your feedback during this year’s General Assembly session. Please continue to offer me your thoughts and comments. I can be reached by phone at 804-698-7504 or by e-mail at district04@sov.state.va.us. It is an honor to serve you in the Senate of Virginia.
