The Rust Report – January 13th
The 2012 General Assembly Session convened January 11th, for a 60-day session concluding in mid-March. Each year when I am sworn in, I am reminded of the people who have stood on the floor of the House of Delegates and taken the same oath since 1619. I am humbled by this honor. During the next 60 days, the Rust Report will be issued each Friday with a legislative update.
Communication is Key!
For the past ten years, I have conducted Town Hall Meetings at the beginning of the General Assembly session to discuss with you the important issues that will be decided by the General Assembly and give you the opportunity to ask questions. I hope you will take the opportunity to attend one. If you are not able to attend, please know that I am always available by email (delTRust@house.virginia.gov) or phone (804-698-1086).
WHAT: 86th District Town Hall (joint meeting with Senator Mark Herring)
WHEN: Saturday, January 14 at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Ingram Council Chambers
765 Lynn Street, Herndon
WHAT: 86th District Town Hall
WHEN: Saturday, January 14 at 1 p.m.
WHERE: Fox Mill Elementary School Cafeteria
2611 Viking Drive, Herndon
WHAT: 86th District Town Hall (joint meeting with Senator Mark Herring)
WHEN: Saturday, January 14 at 3 p.m.
WHERE: Sterling Library
120 Enterprise Street, Sterling
I also invite you to complete my 2012 Legislative Survey online.
My Bills and Committees
This year I have introduced eighteen bills and several resolutions to date. All of the legislation I have proposed can be found here on the General Assembly’s website, legis.state.va.us. My legislation covers an array of topics, including transportation, education, the environment, and insurance. The Speaker of the House has also assigned me to four committees: Transportation (Chairman of Ad Hoc Transportation subcommittee), Education (Chairman of Higher Education subcommittee), Science & Technology (Vice Chairman), and Commerce & Labor. I look forward to serving on these committees.
State of the Commonwealth
Wednesday night Governor McDonnell gave his State of the Commonwealth address. His budget reflects his continuing efforts to create a more efficient and effective government. By focusing on job creation, education, transportation, and government reform this will encourage economic development and spur private sector growth throughout the Commonwealth. Key investments include $2.2 billion in state and local contributions to VRS, $438 million for K-12 public education, $230 million for higher education and $100 million for economic development. In addition, the budget includes various measures to preserve Virginia’s AAA bond rating. During these difficult economic times, efficient and effective government will be important to ‘weathering the storm.’
Transportation is a core function of government and, as such, Governor McDonnell has proposed:
1. Increasing transportation’s share of the year-end undesignated general fund surplus to 75 percent.
2. Increasing the dedicated transportation allocation of the existing state sales tax from .5 percent to .75 percent over the next 8 years. The introduced budget starts that process by increasing the dedicated sales tax percentage to .55 percent, generating over $110 million in new transportation maintenance dollars.
3. Dedicate the first one percent in general fund revenue growth above five percent to transportation.
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The next Rust Report will focus in more detail on some of the proposals in the Governor’s introduced Budget. As you are aware, The Governor proposes the budget but it the General Assembly which acts on it, as such, the final budget decisions will not be made until the end of the Session which will be mid-March.
I invite you to visit the General Assembly website (http://legis.virginia.gov) to review the proposed legislation that the General Assembly will be voting on, to view the General Assembly sessions live each day beginning at noon, and take a virtual tour of the Capitol, among many other things. Of course, you are always invited to visit me in Richmond to see the legislative process first hand.
Again, please do not hesitate to contact me; I can be reached by phone at 804-698-1086 or by email at DelTRust@house.virginia.gov. You can also ‘like’ me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. Thank you again for allowing me to serve as your Delegate – it is truly an honor.
