During the past few weeks, I've been meeting with organizations, municipalities, and individuals regarding the legislation they think is important, that will come before the House of Delegates during the 2010 General Assembly session.  In addition, I have been preparing drafts of bills which I believe are important to improving the quality of life of Virginians.  As I have mentioned in the past, this session will be focused on balancing the budget while providing the level of service Virginians have been accustomed to (or in the case of transportation, improving the level of service) - not an easy task with the current recession.  I welcome your thoughts and suggestions during the next couple of months as we debate bills before the General Assembly.  As I have done in the past, I will keep you up to date on a weekly basis during the Session, which begins on January 13th.

415 Jobs in the 86th!
 
I was pleased to learn that the Ignite Institute, a nonprofit medical research institute established by Inova Health System and Dr. Dietrich Stephan, will be located at the Center for Innovative Technology here in Herndon (you may know the building as the upside down pyramid near Dulles Airport).  The Ignite Institute is a unique non-profit personalized medicine institute, integrating biomedical research, development, commercialization and clinical care.  The Institute's $200 million investment in Virginia will create 415 jobs in our area.The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, in conjunction with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, and the Governor's Opportunity Fund made this possible, with a grant tied to job creation, commitments of additional outside capital, and research collaborations with Virginia universities.  Welcome Ignite Institute!
 
How to Feed 750 Families
If your office or organization would like to organize a toy drive or food drive, you can contact Lisa at lisalombo@signaturecos.com.  
Are you prepared for winter?  Do you have emergency supplies both for your home and your car?  Do you have an emergency plan?  Remember, one heavy snow could impact our lives significantly, so prepare now.  More information can be found at www.ReadyVirginia.gov.  And remember to visit www.511Virginia.org (or dial 511) for 24-hour road conditions.
 
December 1st ushered in the enactment of Virginia's historic restaurant smoking ban, which I supported.  This law will eliminate smoking in nearly all Virginia restaurants, with some exceptions such as separate smoking rooms with separate ventilation systems.  This new law protects patrons and employees from second hand smoke, which, according to the health department, may be responsible for as many as 1,040 adult deaths per year in Virginia.  Virginia now joins 27 other states and the District of Columbia in passing similar legislation.   
 
As always, I am happy to hear from Rust Report readers about your concerns and questions.
 
Warm regards,