by Del. Margaret B. Ransone
We are now only a week away from the scheduled end of our 45-day legislative session. This week was a productive week for the House of Delegates. We are finishing committee work, reviewing amendments from the Senate and continuing to finalize the budget.
Additionally, several of my bills have passed the House and Senate, and have been sent to the governor to be signed into law. The legislation includes:
• House Bill 1727, providing that Northern Neck school divisions are not subject to the prohibition against hiring school division employees who are related to a member of the school board, under certain circumstances.
• House Bill 1728, establishing a work group to study the rules and impacts of emergency air transportation services, also known as air ambulances, in emergency medical situations.
• House Bill 1729, providing that Port Royal council member terms begin in January to reflect the town’s change to November municipal elections.
• House Bill 1730, providing that the State Board of Elections develop a description of the duties and responsibilities of the local electoral boards and requires the Dept. of Elections distribute the duties to various stakeholders.
• House Bill 2313, removing the requirement for a countywide referendum to move a courthouse within the same locality provided that the courthouse is not being relocated to a new city or town.
• House Bill 2358, increasing the required time suspension for the implementation of an investor owned water companies’ interim water rates on customers.
Also, House Bill 1731, requiring state agencies currently exempted from the regulatory public review process to report regulations to the Joint Commission on Administrative Rules and provides that JCAR recommend discontinuing, modifying or sustaining current exemptions, passed the House and Senate Finance committee.
The Commonwealth is home to approximately 800,000 veterans and 150,000 active-duty military members and their families including 21 members of the House. Republicans in the House of Delegates are leading the effort to provide our veterans with the care they deserve, access to affordable education and good job opportunities, and several bills have progressed through the legislative process addressing these issues.
This week my office was visited by third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders from Cople Elementary School in Westmoreland County and staff from Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club.
Contact my office, 698-1099, or [email protected] with questions or concerns related to state government.
