In the Virginia General Assembly, this was known as crossover week. Crossover is the day that the House of Delegates must complete its work on the nearly 1,300 House Bills introduced this session.

A great deal has been accomplished in the five weeks since the start of Session with over 400 bills, covering a wide range of issues, having passed the House. As a member of four committees (Transportation, Education, Commerce & Labor, and Science & Technology) and chair of two subcommittees (Transportation and Higher Education), I stayed busy keeping up-to-date on the bills before me. I also introduced 20 bills and eight resolutions with many of them advancing to the State Senate.

Over one-third of the bills the House has passed relate to my core focus of the session — helping businesses create jobs, expanding education opportunities, initiating transportation improvements, keeping our communities safe, and making our government more efficient and effective. These areas of focus will also be addressed in the budget, which is scheduled to be voted on by the House of Delegates in the coming weeks.

I enjoy meeting with residents from our communities in Herndon, Sterling, Oak Hill, Chantilly, and Fox Mill who visit me in Richmond.  I also receive many emails, letters, and phone calls from resident’s expressing their ideas and thoughts on the legislation before us. I use this information in these correspondences to evaluate bills and ask questions.

Thank you for your advice and allowing me to represent you during this General Assembly Session.

WINTER WEATHER REMINDER

I want to remind you that with predicted weather event this weekend, you have the ability to track the progress of snowplows in your neighborhood and the status of roads in your area (please remember that this is not activated until 2 inches of snow is on the ground).  You can check it out at this link:  http://novasnowplowing.virginiagov.  Should you need to report a problem to VDOT that needs immediate attention, you can call 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623).

I received great news this week from VDOT:  You will now have the ability to view and be able to find out whether crews are plowing, have plowed or have not started plowing your area once 2 inches of snow has accumulated.  Once you enter an address, a color-coded snow map (one of over 600) will indicate the plowing status in that area.  You can view a video on how to use the new site at http://youtu.be/HMRaItZLgyo.  To visit the Snow Map website, visit http://novasnowplowing.virginia.gov. Please note that the website only tracks VDOT maintained neighborhoods and that the website is only active when two or more inches of snow have fallen.  Of course, now all that is needed is the snow (or not!)

UPDATE ON THE VIRGINIA ECONOMY and STATE BUDGET

Governor Bob McDonnell met this week with leadership from the Senate Finance and House Appropriations committees to discuss the mid-session review of the official revenue forecast used to develop his proposed 2012-2014 Biennial Budget. Virginia remains in a slow-growth scenario, with no significant change in real gross domestic product, rate of employment growth, or wages and salaries from estimates used in November to draft the governor’s proposed budget. The mid-session review of revenue involves updated economic information on the national and state economies and a review of data on actual revenue collections for the first seven months of the fiscal year.

The Governor noted that the largest source of revenue, personal income tax, which makes up about two-thirds of the general fund, was running about one percent behind the official revenue forecast. Sales and corporate income taxes, which make up about one-quarter of the general fund, were slightly ahead of the forecast. The total general fund revenue collections have increased by 4 percent through January, slightly behind the official revenue forecast of 4.6 percent growth. The State Lottery Board chairman indicated that Lottery profits could be increased by $7 million for a total of $461.4 million during fiscal year 2012.

This Sunday, February 19th, the Senate Finance and House Appropriations committees are due to report out their respective versions of the budget bill.

VDOT Meets or Exceeds All Project Completion and Budget Goals for the First Time in Two Years

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) met its goals for completing all construction and maintenance projects both on time and on budget during the period of October through December 2011- the second quarter of its 2012 fiscal year-the first time the agency has met all of these goals since FY 2010. VDOT released these results in its most recent quarterly report card during the monthly meeting of the Commonwealth Transportation Board this Wednesday.

Following an investment in transportation made during last year’s General Assembly session, advancing more than 900 projects, VDOT had 340 maintenance and construction projects due for completion during the quarter that ended Dec. 31, 2011. Of those contracts, 262, or 77.1 percent, were completed both on time and within budget. The target was 77 percent.

VDOT completed 87 percent of its construction projects (47 out of 54) on time, surpassing its 75 percent target for the quarter. The agency completed 79.7 percent of its maintenance projects (or 228 out of 286) on time, exceeding the 77 percent goal.

Of the 51 construction projects completed by the end of the second quarter of FY 2012, VDOT completed 50, or 98 percent, within budget, exceeding its target of 82 percent. VDOT completed 93 percent of its maintenance contracts within budget, or 252 out of 270, exceeding the target of 90 percent.

The construction quality rating for the quarter was 90.4 percent, which came in just under the 91 percent target. This measurement tracks VDOT’s commitment to building quality roads and bridges while seeking opportunity for continuous improvement.

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Town of Herndon visits Richmond

This week I had the pleasure of meeting with the mayor, several members of the town council, the town attorney, and town manager.  At their request, I carried three bills which are briefly described below:

HB861:  This bill would allow the town to remove trailers for outstanding parking violations.  It passed in committee unanimously and I anticipate that it will pass in the House and proceed to the Senate for their action.

HB862:  This bill would establish a state income tax deduction for the tolls paid on publicly owned and operated roads in Virginia. This bill was continued until 2013, which means that it will not be acted on this session.

HB863:  This bill would establish that a lien against real property shall exist for each penalty levied for a scheduled violation of a locality’s zoning ordinance.  The lien would not be enforced until all appeal procedures have been exhausted.  This bill was heard in subcommittee yesterday and was not acted on.

Bill Status Update

I want to take this opportunity to update you on the status of my bills.

HB657:  This bill would adjust the mix of energy sources that qualify for satisfying the requirements of the renewable energy portfolio standard program.  Status: Dominion Power and the environmental community brought me this bill and after considerable work, they decided to continue working on the bill language and hope to reintroduce it next year.

HB860:  This bill would allow localities in Northern Virginia to require towing companies that tow trespassing vehicles from one locality to another to submit to inspection of their facilities by the locality from which such vehicles are towed.  Status:  Passed the House and has been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee for their action.

HB861, HB861, and HB863:  See Town of Herndon above.

HB864:  This bill would change the composition of the Commonwealth Transportation Board to give more representation to the urban areas.  Status:  This bill was debated today and will be voted on next week.

HB865:  This bill would disallow localities from reducing the number of taxicabs that are permitted/authorized under the local ordinance, unless there is non-use or cause.  Status:  Passed unanimously in the House and passed unanimously in the Senate Transportation Committee Wednesday.

HB866:  This bill would allow for staggered elections of the Fairfax County School Board.  Status:  Passed unanimously in the House and is in the Senate.

HB867:  This bill would prohibit any person from modifying certificates of insurance.

Status:  Passed unanimously in the House and is in the Senate.

HB868:  This bill would allow plug-in electric vehicles to park free of charge in certain parking spaces when recharging.  Status:  This bill was passed by indefinitely by the Transportation Committee and will not be acted upon during this session.

HB869:  This bill would allow for optional Urban Development Areas.  Status:  This bill passed the House and is in the Senate.

HB870:  This bill would exempt repairable vehicles, which are repaired by an insurance company, from provisions of salvage vehicles.  Status:  Passed unanimously in the House and Senate Transportation committee.

HB871:  This bill changes the definition of a limited burial insurance authority.  Status:  Passed unanimously in the House and is in the Senate.

HB872:  This bill provides for SCC licensing and regulation of public adjusters.  Status:  Passed unanimously in Committee and will be voted on by the House next week.

HB873:  This bill would lower the Composite Index rate, which would benefit schools in Northern Virginia in the future.  Status:  The bill was ‘laid on the table’ in subcommittee and will not be acted upon this session.

HB874:  This bill would allow officers to issue citations to drivers who text or email while driving, without having to stop a driver for another violation.  Status:  The bill was defeated in subcommittee.

HB875:  This bill would place time limits on appeal to DMV for suspension of driver’s license.  Status:  This bill passed unanimously in the House and is in the Senate.

HB876:  This bill would transfer administration and collection of the motor vehicle fuel sales tax to DMV.  Status: Passed unanimously in the House and is in the Senate.

HB1184:  This bill would allow dual enrollment for high school students.  Status:  Passed unanimously in the House and is in the Senate.

HB1206:  This bill would eliminate the requirement of an annual adjustment for preneed insurance.  Status:   The bill was ‘laid on the table’ in subcommittee and will not be acted upon this session.

Repealing the “Kings Dominion” Law

I am happy to report that the “Kings Dominion” bill (HB1063), which would repeal the state law requiring public schools to open after Labor Day, passed in the House of Delegates with my support. I received many emails in support of this bill and I believe each school board should determine the best start date for their schools.  Currently 77 of 134 school districts in Virginia have been granted waivers to allow schools to begin before Labor Day.  The remaining schools must wait until after Labor Day to begin school; however standardized tests must be taken at the same time.  The bill is now in the Senate Education and Health Committee for their action.  I encourage you to contact your Senator with your views on this bill.

“Right to Work” legislation Update

Legislation that would allow for fair and open competition in government contracting passed the House of Delegates with my support.  This bill prohibits mandatory project labor agreements and guarantees full and open competition in bidding on public contracts.  It is estimated that a mandated project labor agreement can raise the cost of a project by ten to twenty percent, so prohibiting these mandatory agreements will help ensure Virginia gets the most out of our taxpayer dollars on infrastructure projects.  This legislation also ensures that all of Virginia’s qualified contractors and their skilled workforces, regardless of labor affiliation, can compete on a level playing field for Virginia projects.

Northern Virginia Regional Commission

I was pleased to be invited by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission to be the speaker at their annual trip to Richmond.  The NVRC is a Commission composed of elected officials from all the jurisdictions in Northern Virginia.  We spent an hour discussing bills in the General Assembly with emphasis on funding for transportation, human services and education.  Their input and ideas are always helpful to me.

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While much of my week was spent in committee meetings or on the floor of the House, my staff and I continue to meet with individuals and organizations regarding legislation pending before the House.  This week we had visitors from Fairfax County Public Schools CTE (?), 4-H Club, NASA, AAA of Virginia, Virginia 21, Virginia Credit Union, VA 529 College Savings Plan, VA Breast Cancer Foundation, VA Association of Counties, and the VA Municipal League.

I invite you to visit the General Assembly website 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!

I welcome you to contact me during the session to voice your opinions on legislation that is before the General Assembly; 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.

At this point I have only had 3 of my bills defeated.  HB874 would have moved using your handheld personal communication device (phone) to text, from a secondary offense to a primary offense.  There were some 7-8 bills of the same type on this issue and I was asked to ‘take the lead’ and present my bill which incorporated the others.  Even after my presentation of extensive facts in support of HB874 and testimony of many groups in support, the bill (and all others) was defeated in subcommittee by a vote of 3-1.  Basically rural legislators voted ‘no’ and the urban/suburban legislator’s voted ‘yes’.  I am commenting on this bill specifically because so many of you have contacted me or discussed with me how important this issue is to you.  This is an annual issue at the General Assembly and I will continue to work on it.

Skype Session

Earlier today, I had the privilege of ‘skyping’ with a fourth grade class at Forest Grove Elementary School in Sterling.  Isn’t technology a wonderful tool!  I had the opportunity to tell the students what I was doing at the General Assembly and they had the opportunity to ask me questions about the bills I am working on.  We had a great discussion and they asked inquisitive questions.  One student asked “What is the hardest thing you have voted on in the House of Delegates?”  I responded that the budget is always difficult because it has so many components.  I am looking forward to visiting their class in person later this year and continuing our discussion.

Transportation Legislation

The Governor has asked me to be the floor leader for his transportation funding bill, HB1248, so I want to take this opportunity to review with you the various details of the bill.  HB1248 provides for construction, operation and maintenance, and funding by:

• Creating transportation construction districts and the Transportation Improvement District Fund to identify, construct, and fund certain transportation projects, including the authority to issue revenue bonds
• Creating the Virginia Toll Road Authority to fund transportation projects through tolls and other charges
• Increasing the dedicated transportation allocation of the existing sales and use tax from 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent, phased in over eight years, with the additional revenue dedicated for highway maintenance and operation
• Increasing transportation’s share of year-end surpluses from 66 percent to 75 percent
• Dedicating a portion of revenue growth in the General Fund each year to transportation
• Requiring localities to create transportation plans as part of comprehensive planning.
• Authorizing the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to name highways, bridges, interchanges, and other transportation facilities for private entities if an annual naming rights fee is paid, with the revenue dedicated to highway maintenance and operation.
• Granting the CTB greater responsibilities involving integration of land use and transportation planning and authorizes the CTB to withhold federal and state funds for certain local or regional capital improvement projects if those projects are inconsistent with the Statewide Transportation Plan or the Six-Year Improvement Program.
• Providing special allocations by the CTB for bridge reconstruction, high priority highway projects, and reconstruction of highways with particularly deteriorated pavements.
• Providing the performance of maintenance projects directly by VDOT when it can be demonstrated to the Commissioner or the CTB that VDOT can do it at lesser cost than an outside contractor.

The Governor’s funding package will provide $180 million to fund high priority projects (those that will reduce congestion, increase safety, create jobs, or increase economic development) in the FY13 through FY18 SYIP.  Some of the key projects that have been identified in the Northern Virginia District include the redesign of I-66 and Route 28 interchange, intersection improvements at Route 28 and Piper Lane, Purcell Road improvements, and Balls Ford Road improvements.

The other major transportation bill which I am chief patron of is HB864 which, if passed, would change the composition of the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to give more representation to the urban areas.

I welcome your comments on these bills as they will both begin the hearing/committee process next week.

A Little Bit of History

Did you know that the Virginia General Assembly is the oldest continuously sitting legislative body in the western hemisphere!  Last weekend I had the honor of representing the 86^th District at the 25^th Joint Commemorative General Assembly session in Williamsburg.  This unique event only happens once every four years and it reminded me of Virginia’s rich heritage.  As you may know, Richmond is actually the third capital of Virginia; the first being Jamestown and the second being Williamsburg.

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While much of my week was spent in committee meetings or on the floor of the House, my staff and I continue to meet with individuals and organizations regarding legislation pending before the House.  This week we had visitors from several universities, public schools, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Humane Society, Jewish Community Relations Council, Virginia Regional Transit, Virginia Space Grant Consortium, and Virginia Tourism to name a few.

I invite you to visit the General Assembly website 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!

I welcome you to contact me during the session to voice your opinions on legislation that is before the General Assembly; 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.

Opportunity to Learn

Governor McDonnell’s “Opportunity to Learn” K-12 education agenda focuses on raising standards for schools and teachers, reducing mandates on local school divisions, expanding educational options for Virginia students, enhancing teacher quality, and funding for critical education and training programs.

Raise Standards – College and Workforce Readiness:

• Streamline diploma requirements
• Establish a positive youth development academy pilot program
• Allow dual enrollment for high school students (see next article)
• Advance literacy by revising the Standards of Quality

Reduce Mandates on local school divisions:

• Repeal the requirement that schools must begin after Labor Day unless a waiver is granted (I am patron of the bill)

Expand educational options for Virginia students:

• Provide structured support for innovative learning, such as with charter schools, college partnership laboratory schools and virtual schools
• Establish new regulations for virtual schools and virtual school teachers.
• College Partnership Laboratory School enhancements
• Educational Improvement Scholarship

Enhance Teacher Quality

• Establish an annual contract and evaluation process

Funding

• Increase K-12 public education funding by 3.5% ($195 million) in FY13 and by 4.4% ($243 million) in FY14 from the 2012 budget.
• Invest an additional $302.8 million to strengthen the VA Retirement System for school employees.
• Increasing the Standards of Quality rebenchmarking costs
• Update the composite index formula (I have a bill which would lower the Composite Index for the benefit of Fairfax, Loudoun and other areas.)
• Increase funding dedicated to K-12 from sales tax and the Lottery

If you want to learn more about this, you can read the Governor’s “Opportunity to Learn” agenda at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/news/news_releases/2012/jan09_gov.shtml.

Bill Highlight

One of the bills that I am honored to carry for the Governor, HB1184, will allow students to complete an associate’s degree or a one year Uniform Certificate of General Studies from a Virginia Community College concurrent with a high school diploma. This dual enrollment legislation initiative would:

• Provide opportunities for high school students to earn college credit.
• Specify pathways and curricula concurrent with a high school diploma.
• Reduce post-secondary education costs by reducing time spent in college.
• Fast track students into college and workforce readiness.

Approximately 75% of Virginia public high schools offer dual enrollment, and this initiative would increase the likelihood of students enrolling in college and obtaining a college degree.  You can read the bill in its entirety here.

Where are the Snow Plows?

I received great news this week from VDOT:  You will now have the ability to view and be able to find out whether crews are plowing, have plowed or have not started plowing your area once 2 inches of snow has accumulated.  Once you enter an address, a color-coded snow map (one of over 600) will indicate the plowing status in that area.  You can view a video on how to use the new site at http://youtu.be/HMRaItZLgyo.  To visit the Snow Map website, visit http://novasnowplowing.virginia.gov. Please note that the website only tracks VDOT maintained neighborhoods and that the website is only active when two or more inches of snow have fallen.  Of course, now all that is needed is the snow (or not!)

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Thank you for reading another issue of the Rust Report from Richmond.  As I mentioned, my office has been busy meeting with people who represent the following organizations: NoVa Family Service, No Va Aging Network, Fx Co Chamber of Commerce, Lo Co Public Schools, Fx Co Public Schools, No Va Association of Realtors, Arts Council of Fx Co, Fx Co Retired Teachers, Arlington Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, Catholic Charities, Virginia Society for Human Life, Southern Environmental Law Center, Wolf Trap Education, American Academy of Pediatrics, Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Tobacco Commission, The College Board, Virginia Education Association, Piedmont Environmental Council, Virginia Wilderness, Virginia Lottery, AARP, Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, Virginia Association of Museums, Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, Medical Society of Virginia, Virginia Dental Hygienists Association, Virginians for the Arts, The Virtual Library of Virginia, Virginia Horse Council and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

I invite you to visit the General Assembly website 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!

I welcome you to contact me during the session; 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.

Thank you to those constituents who attended one of my three Town Hall meetings last weekend and participated in my teletown hall on Wednesday.  I enjoy the opportunity to have dialogue with residents about issues that are facing the Commonwealth.  These venues help me to better understand and represent the views of the residents.

This has been the first full week of the 2012 session, so I have been busy attending committee/subcommittee meetings, as well as meeting with people on bills which will come before me.  One of the ‘perks’ of being a legislator is that I learn a lot of things on a variety of subjects.  I try to look objectively at each piece of legislation before me and ask the ‘tough’ questions in order to discern the viability of a bill.  Some of the groups that have visited our offices this week include the Fairfax and Loudoun County Public Schools, Sierra Club, Virginia Citizens Defense League, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Virginia League of Conservation Voters, Reston Interfaith and Northern Virginia Family Services.

Governor’s Budget

As promised in the last Rust Report, I wanted to take the opportunity to brief you on the Governor’s proposed budget.  During the next two months, the legislature will debate the proposed budget and make their recommendations.  A motto heard in the legislature is that the Governor proposes and the Legislature disposes! The debate will go on throughout the Session with the final budget being adopted the last three or four days of the session.

This is the largest budget in the history of the Commonwealth – $85 billion over two years!  The budget is composed of the General Fund (which comprises primarily the funds spent on education, health, human services and public safety; the legislature has the most control over this portion) and the Non-General Fund (which are dedicated revenues that the legislature has very little control over).  An alarming trend show that the General Fund portion of the budget has fallen to 41% (from about 50% 10 years ago when I was first elected), and the Non-General Fund has risen to 59%.

Where does the money come from?

• Income Tax (66%)
• Sale Tax (20%)
• Corporate Tax (5%)
• Miscellaneous (9%)

Where does the money go?

• Education ($32.5 B)
• Health & Human Resources ($25.5 B)
• Transportation ($9.8 B)
• Public Safety ($5.4 B)

The budget is built on several assumptions including:

• Employment growth of 1.5% (normally we experience 5-6%)
• Personal Income Growth of 3.7%
• An average salary increase of 2.6%
• No ‘Double Dip’ recession

In addition, Governor McDonnell has put $50M in a set aside fund which will be used if

necessary, to offset Federal cuts that may go into effect that will be devastating to Northern Virginia. The 2013-2014 budget also receives approximately $546 million in surplus which will carry over from the 2010/12 budget.

The ‘new’ spending in the 2012-14 budget includes the following major items.

•  Medicaid Utilization plus inflation – $651 M
•  Update costs of K-12 Standards of Quality -$378 M
• VA Retirement Fund – $342 M
• Rainy Day Fund – $300 M
• Higher Education $204 M
• Water  Quality Improvement Fund – $50 M

The total ‘new’ spending is $2.79 B

We are fortunate that Virginia continues to outperform most of the rest of the nation in economic development and job growth.  All this being said, the budget will undergo the scrutiny of the Appropriations Committee, and they will propose changes to the budget.  At the end of the session, a budget will be passed by the General Assembly and then the Governor will act.

Higher Education

As you may know, improving Higher Education in Virginia is very important to me; I serve as Chairman of the Higher Education subcommittee and on the Governor’s Higher Education Commission.  This week representatives from Virginia Tech, James Madison,  Northern Virginia Community College, William & Mary, The George Washington University and Randolph-Macon College came to visit me.  Their common theme was concern for adequate funding for higher education opportunities.

In the next Rust Report, I will review in some detail spending proposals and policy changes proposed for education.

I invite you to visit the General Assembly website 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.

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:   86^th 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:   86^th District Town Hall

WHEN:   Saturday, January 14 at 1 p.m.

WHERE:  Fox Mill Elementary School Cafeteria

2611 Viking Drive, Herndon

WHAT:   86^th 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.

• 10:00 AM Herndon: Ingram Town Council Chambers 765 Lynn Street, Herndon
• 1:00 PM Oak Hill/Fox Mill: Fox Mill Elementary School-2611 Viking Drive, Herndon
• 3:00 PM Sterling: Sterling Library-120 Enterprise Street, Sterling

The public is welcome and encouraged to attend these meetings, to hear an update of the 2012 General Assembly session, to provide comments, and ask questions.

Delegate Rust would like your thoughts on the issues affecting Virginia. Click on the link below to take Delegate Rust’s Legislative survey.

Opportunity to Help Others Month

Governor McDonnell has launched December is “Opportunity to Help Others” (OTHers) month. OTHers month recognizes the ongoing need for support of faith-based and charitable organizations across the Commonwealth during the holidays.

In the spirit of this initiative, I will be helping LINK later this month with their food drive (I also helped with their Thanksgiving Food Drive). I encourage you to find a way that you are able to help others during the holidays. Here is a list of several organizations in our community that are looking for volunteers:

Reston Interfaith

Herndon-Reston FISH

The Closet

LINK Against Hunger

Jeanie Schmidt Free Clinic

Just Neighbors

Fairfax-Falls Church Community Service Board

Literacy Council of Northern Virginia

Vecinos Unidos/Neighbors United

Volunteer Fairfax!

Volunteer Loudoun!

Habitat for Humanity – RESTORE – Chantilly

Fairfax County Animal Shelter

Loudoun County Animal Shelter

Meals on Wheels

Fairfax County Office of Public Private Partnerships

Red Cross

(to name a few)

This holiday season, I ask that you reflect on the blessings in your life and take some time to help those less fortunate in our community

Community Association Forum

As a follow-up to the Community Association Forum I facilitated last year, the Herndon Community Association Coalition and I have put together a follow-up forum which will be held on December 10^th from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m..  There have been recent legislative changes and other areas of change that will have a significant impact on both condominium and homeowner associations in Virginia.  Topics to be discussed include the Common Interest Community Ombudsman, the effect of recent case law on violation charges, insurance requirements for Associations, the homeowner complaint process as distinguished from the due process procedure, and much more.  The seminar is open to any interested parties, so please feel free to forward this to anyone you feel would be interested.

Are You Ready?

This week is Winter Preparedness Week.  If a surprise snow storm were to hit tomorrow, are you ready?  The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (www.ReadyVirginia.gov) is encouraging Virginians to prepare now for the winter and they have a great resource to help you (1) Get a kit (2) Make a plan (3) Stay informed.  I hope you will take a few minutes to visit the site and see how prepared you are.  Perhaps you might even find an idea for a Christmas present to give!

VDOT’s Ready!

The Northern Virginia District of VDOT presented their Snow Briefing and I’m pleased to inform you that they have increased the number of trucks by 400, doubled the amount of Automatic Vehicle Locators, and added $19 million to the budget since last year.  As you may recall, last year was their first year implementing ‘snow maps’ and Automatic Vehicle Locators; both of these items were highly effective at improving VDOT’s snow response last year.  Early predications call for less than average snowfall amounts, so let’s hope the predications come true!

In Remembrance

The VTV Family Outreach Foundation is collecting prepaid applications for a license plate which will honor those who died and survived the tragedy of April 16, 2007 at Virginia Tech.  A minimum of 450 prepaid applications are required for the General Assembly to approve the special license plate.  If you are interested in signing up, please contact Marjorie Castro at m.castro@vtvfamilyfoundation.org or 855-462-7432.

During the past several weeks, I have been quite busy in the community including sorting food for LINK, attending the Herndon Police Department Valor Awards, riding in the Reston Holiday parade, attending the Loudoun County Public Schools Excellence in Education banquet, attending meetings of General Assembly Education Committee, Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee, DATA annual meeting and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce Economic Summit.  I have also been attending several legislative roundtables including the NVTA, Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, and the Town of Leesburg.  This week, I am looking forward to attending the Governor’s Transportation Conference in Norfolk and several legislative meetings in Richmond.

I am honored to serve as your delegate, and as such, my staff and I are always available to assist you.  Please do not hesitate to contact me; I can be reached by phone at 703-437-9400, by mail at 730 Elden Street, Herndon, VA 20170, 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 and a privilege.

Warm regards,

Thomas Davis Rust

Delegate, 86th District

GO VOTE! 

Voting is one of the greatest rights you have of living in a democracy, and I hope that you will exercise that right by voting on Tuesday.  In addition to electing your Senator and Delegate to the Virginia General Assembly, you will also elect a board of supervisors and chairman, a school board, sheriff, Commonwealth’s Attorney, bond referendum, Soil and Water Conservation Director Northern Virginia district, Commissioner of Revenue (Loudoun County), and Treasurer (Loudoun County).  For detailed information about what you will be voting on, please visit the Fairfax County Office of Elections site http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/upcoming.htm or the Loudoun County Office of Elections site http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=530.

“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”  Franklin D. Roosevelt

National Test of the Nationwide Emergency Alert System Set for Wednesday

On Wednesday, November 9, FEMA, DHS and FCC will conduct the first national test of the Nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) test. This nationwide test will begin at 2 p.m. (EST) and run concurrently across all time zones.

This system test is the first of its kind designed to broadcast a nationwide message to the American public. Tests have occurred in the past, but not across all regions of the nation simultaneously. The three minute test will run concurrently on all radio and TV band stations, a change from the norm, as messages are generally anywhere from 30 seconds to one minute.

FEMAs website provides more information regarding this test: http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm

Veteran’s Day 

With Veterans Day approaching, I want to take this opportunity to thank our veteran’s for their service to our country. This is a special day to honor our veteran’s who have given so much for our great nation. There will be a Veteran’s Day Observance at the Veteran’s Memorial on the Herndon Town Green on November 11^th beginning at 11:00 am.  I wanted to be sure you know that many local businesses and restaurants will offer military veteran’s and active service members special discounts on Veterans Day to show their appreciation. Please click here to see an extensive list of businesses and restaurants that will be offering special discounts and deals for veterans.

Virginia’s Changing Population

The 2010 census has provided some interesting facts about Virginia that I thought you might be interested in:

• Virginia’s population increased by almost 1 million for a total population of 8 million.
• About half of this amount occurred in Northern Virginia.
• One in five localities lost population.
• Two-thirds of Virginian’s population live in the ‘urban crescent’ (Northern Virginia, Richmond, Hampton Roads)
• One out of eight Virginian’s are 65 or older, and they make up less than 10% of Northern Virginia’s population
• One out of ten Virginian’s is born abroad; with the number of Hispanic Virginians increasing by double and the number of Asian Virginian’s increasing by 70%.

(Facts provided by UVA’s Cooper Center for Public Service)

I recently attended the Citizen of the Year banquet where Laura and George Price were honored for their hard work and dedication to our community.  I will introduce a Commending Resolution during this General Assembly to recognize them for their volunteerism efforts.  During the past weeks, I have attended the Silverlight Senior Association celebration, Lorton Arts Gala, Reston Interfaith Walk, Asian-American candidate’s forum, Jeanie Schmidt Free Clinic Volunteer recognition dinner, League of Women voters Meet and Greet, Greater Reston Chamber candidates forum, Dulles Chamber of Commerce non-profit associations event, two Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce events, Dulles Corridor Rail Association meeting, Committee of Dulles luncheon, Herndon Police Department Valor Awards dinner, and attended numerous legislative meetings in Richmond.  I was also a speaker at the Governor’s conference for new members of the University/College Board of Visitors.

As always, my staff and I are always available to assist you, so please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached by phone at 703-437-9400, by mail at 730 Elden Street, Herndon, VA 20170, 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.

Warm regards,

Thomas Davis Rust
Delegate, 86th District

Upcoming Events in the 86^th District:

November 5 at 6:00 pm: Herndon High School 100^th Anniversary Concert

November 8:  Election Day

November 11 at 11:00 am:  Herndon Veteran’s Day Observance

November 12 9:00 am to noon:  Sterling Boulevard Cleanup

Fall also brings campaign signs.  In the last email, I reported that I am the only candidate running for Delegate of the 86^th District.  As such, you have probably noticed a lack of my campaign signs displayed in the district.  While I don’t see the need for having a plethora of signs, I am happy for resident’s to display my campaign sign in their yards.  If you would like a campaign sign, please contact me and we will deliver one to your home.

A Partnership for Food

The Herndon Homecoming Parade will be held on October 22^nd and for the 3^rd year in a row we will be collecting food for LINK during the parade, before the football game, at my legislative office, and at the band room in Herndon High School.  I have partnered with the Pride of Herndon Band and we have a lofty goal of collecting 1000 items to donate.  We will be collecting food in wagons along the parade route and before the football game.  I will be riding in the parade in my pick-up truck and I hope we can fill the truck with food for LINK! The parade begins at 9:30 am and the game begins at 1:00 pm.  If you would prefer, we are also collecting at my legislative office in Herndon’s “Town Hall” and outside the band room at Herndon High School.  Items such as peanut butter, soups, canned beans, and tuna are in great demand.  I hope that you will take the opportunity to donate food to those less fortunate in our community.

Super NoVa

Governor Bob McDonnell has announced that the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) will begin a study of current and projected commuter patterns in Northern Virginia to help keep Northern Virginia moving.  The “Super NoVa” study will develop a comprehensive plan to address transit improvements necessary to move people to and from the employment centers of NOVA and the Washington, DC area.  The Super NoVa study area will consist of Northern Virginia, west of the Shenandoah Valley, south through Culpeper and Caroline counties, and east from the Northern Neck.  The impact of commuters coming from Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. into Northern Virginia will also be in the study.  The study will identify potential improvements that will increase mobility and provide greater transportation choice in Northern Virginia.  As the study process evolves, more information will be made available on DRPT’s Web site, www.drpt.virginia.gov.

Your Input is Needed

The Secretary of Transportation and the Commonwealth Transportation Board will conduct nine public meetings across the state in October and November.  These meetings are being held to give stakeholders the opportunity to review and provide comments on projects and programs to be included in the Fiscal Year 2013-2018 Six-Year Improvement Program.  This includes highway, rail, and public transportation initiatives.  Following the open house from 6:00-6:30 pm, there will be and opportunity for the public and transportation stakeholders to comment.  Written comments may also be submitted during this informal session, or they may be mailed or e-mailed until December 12, 2011.  The Northern Virginia meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 25 beginning at 6:00 pm at the VDOT office, 4975 Alliance Drive in Fairfax.

Online tool for Absentee Ballots

If you are a registered voter in Virginia and would like to request an absentee ballot, I encourage you to sign up by visiting www.GOPAbsentee.com.  Simply fill out the online form and an Absentee Ballot Application will be emailed to you.  You can print it, sign it, date it, and mail it to the address included in the email.

Upcoming Events

Senator Mark Herring and I will be hosting a Meet and Greet Dessert social this Friday, October 14 at 1:00 pm at the Herndon Senior Center, 873 Grace Street.  Everyone is invited to attend and talk with us about important issues affecting Northern Virginians.

The Bradley Farm Haunted House will take place again this year and it promises a ghoulishly fun time for just $3.  All proceeds will go to Herndon-Reston FISH.  Food is available on site and entertainment will be provided by Bach to Rock!  There is a kid-friendly version during the day and a ‘not-so-kid-friendly’ version at night.  I have attended for several years and I highly recommend it to you.  The event will take place on October 28 & 29 from 6-10 p.m. and October 29 from 1-5 p.m.  For more information, please visit Bradley Farm Haunted House .

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This past weekend I attended SterlingFest and enjoyed talking with many residents who stopped by my booth.  I have also attended numerous Candidates Forums, attended legislative meetings in Richmond, presented awards at the Herndon High School Showcase of Bands, spoke to the sophomore class of civil engineering students at Virginia Tech and attended a higher education reception in Richmond with Governor McDonnell and all college/university presidents.

As always, my staff and I are always available to assist you, so please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached by phone at 703-437-9400, by mail at 730 Elden Street, Herndon, VA 20170, 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.

Warm regards,

Thomas Davis Rust
Delegate, 86th District

Upcoming Events in the 86^th District:

Friday, October 14 at 1:00 pm:  Meet and Greet at Herndon Senior Center with Senator Herring and myself.

Saturday, October 15, 10 am–1 pm:  Public Safety Day at Herndon Town Hall

Saturday, October 22, 9:30 a.m.:  Herndon Homecoming Parade

Sunday, October 23, noon:  Reston Interfaith Help the Homeless Walkathon

Friday, October 28, 6-10 pm:  Bradley Farm Haunted House

Saturday, October 29 1-5 pm and 6-10 pm:  Bradley Farm Haunted House