Virginia Senator Ralph Northam ~ General Assembly Wrap Up

Legislative Update-

Over the weekend, the General Assembly was able to agree on a package of amendments to the biennial budget, and left Richmond only one day behind schedule. While there were definitely compromises made, I am happy to report that we were able to restore $100 million for health insurance for low income Virginians, $75 million for our public schools, and over $20 million for local law enforcement, to include funding to fill vacant judgeships on the Eastern Shore and in Virginia Beach. We also made significant investments in higher education, community-based services for the disabled, and shoring up the rainy day fund. Looking locally, we provided funding increases for ODU, EVMS, and CHKD.

Aside from the budget, there were some other legislative successes this year. We mandated that insurance providers cover services for many children with autism, protected the Chesapeake Bay by banning phosphorus in lawn fertilizer, and took a major step toward fighting childhood obesity by requiring 150 minutes of PE per week in grades K-8. We also managed to pass an important - though temporary - fix for transportation funding which will allow for the construction of long overdue projects in our area.

There are still many challenges ahead as we begin to emerge from the economic downturn, and I am committed to working with you all to improve our transportation network, increase opportunities for education and employment, and protect our natural resources. I am excited to return to Hampton Roads and spend time listening to your ideas about how we can build on the progress we are making in these areas and others. Maybe most importantly though, I am eager to do my part to help ensure that Virginia stays above the raw politics and negativity that currently characterizes many debates at the national level. Ours is a diverse state within a diverse nation, and we all have our differences. However, I am focused on what we can accomplish together, not what can push us farther apart.

As I begin my bid for re-election to the Senate, I will be making every effort to visit all the communities of the 6th District, and will keep you posted as we put together local public meetings. Please also let us know if there is an event or gathering you would like me to attend. Additionally, I will need your help to return to Richmond, so please contact my aide Matt Strickler at (757) 818-5172 or matt@ralphnortham.com if you would like to volunteer on my campaign between now and November 8. I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Source; www.shoredailynews.com

Alternative To Civil Commitment For Predators

RICHMOND —

A Virginia legislator is proposing castrating sex offenders as an alternative to the increasing costs to detain and treat them after they've served their prison sentences.

Republican Sen. Emmett Hanger's bill would require the state to study the use of physical castration as an alternative to civil commitment for sexually violent predators. A similar proposal was vetoed four years ago.

The civil commitment program's budget grew from $2.7 million in 2004 to $24 million this year. Gov. Bob McDonnell has proposed spending nearly $70 million over the next two years to meet the increasing demands.

Hanger's bill also would require study of the crimes that qualify for commitment, the process and housing options for those who leave the program.

www.wtkr.com

Virginia Delegate Wants Alternative Currencies For State

The Commonwealth of Virginia would begin minting its own gold and silver coins as an alternative currency to the U.S. dollar under a bill that Virginia Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William) says he will file in coming days.

Marshall will ask the General Assembly to consider the idea when it convenes for its annual legislative session Jan. 12. It is a companion bill to a proposal he has already filed to establish a study committee to examine alternative currencies to that distributed by the Federal Reserve System "in the event of a major breakdown of the Federal Reserve System."

Marshall said his intention is to inject competition into the national economy and force the federal government to change monetary policy he believes is leading to hyperinflation. According to his bill, "many widely recognized experts predict the inevitable destruction of the Federal Reserve System's currency through hyperinflation in the foreseeable future." His critique mirrors that of the Tea Party movement, some of whose members have called for the end of the Federal Reserve system.

"State legislatures have to get a little more creative and savvy to counter the buffoonery that's been plaguing Washington," Marshall said in an interview.

Asked what he might say to people who believe the proposal is, well, a little wacky (after all, the last time Virginia used currency other than the U.S. dollar was during the Civil War), Marshall said he believes the Constitution allows for alternative currencies.

"The only people who would say that are people who don't understand or reject the clear language of the Constitution, of the law and of court decisions," he said. "We want to provide competition and some restraint on the profligates that have been running the Federal Reserve and the people in Congress who don't know the word 'no.' "

Marshall is one of the most conservative and controversial members of the Virginia legislature. He delights in proposing legislation that helps him advance his conservative philosophy and is considering running for the U.S. Senate in 2012.

But Marshall's bills aren't always embraced by the rest of the legislature, even his fellow Republicans. He is also sponsoring legislation this year to bar gays and lesbians from serving in the Virginia National Guard.

www.washingtonpost.com