Local Connection
November 2011

In This Issue
 

·   Election 2011 Aftermath

·   Confusion Reigns in the Senate

·   Chamber's 2011 Legislative Agenda

·   The Promise of Broadband

·   South County Library Opening Date Set

Stat of the Month: 57,000 Page length of General Electric's 2010 tax return.  See more here.

Extra Credit Reading

1) From College Major to Career

2) Runaway Spending on Health Care

3) Budget Battle(s) Continue in D.C.

4) Privatize the Postal Service

5) Bay Cleanup Could Cost $15billion

6) Virginia's Transportation Funding Crisis

Contact Us

http://www.roanokechamber.org

business@roanokechamber.org

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Congressman Morgan Griffith Addresses Chamber

Earlier this month, Representative H. Morgan Griffith (R-9th) briefed chamber members on a host of important issues impacting the business community in southwest Virginia. Reflecting on his first year in Congress, Griffith stated the legislative process at the federal level is much slower than the two month sprint he was accustomed to as majority leader in the Virginia House of Delegates. Griffith said he will continue to focus on energy-related legislation, target burdensome regulations, and examine measures to reduce the federal deficit.                  

Congressman Morgan Griffith chats with Chamber chair-elect John Francis

Regional & State Briefing

Election 2011 Aftermath
Confusion Reigns in Senate
With an expanded majority in the House of Delegates and a Republican Lt. Governor in place to break ties in an evenly split Virginia Senate, Republicans are riding high after the November 8th election. Yet, confusion reigns as Senate Democrats have raised a host of Constitutional questions about the Lt. Governor's authority to cast tie-breaking votes on  judgeships, the budget and organizational matters such as committee appointments. Republicans contend that a legal opinion drafted by A.E. Dick Howard, a law professor at the University of Virginia and architect of the 1971 revisions to Virginia's Constitution, grants the Lt. Governor wide latitude to cast tie-breaking votes even on organizational matters. For Howard, the authority to break ties is a means for avoiding government gridlock. Yet, Howard points out his opinion should not be considered the final word. In a similar situation in 1996, Republicans and Democrats reached a last minute power sharing agreement to equally apportion committee assignments. Seeking to stay above the partisan fray, Governor Bob McDonnell said he plans to work with both Republicans and Democrats but indicated that the Lt. Governor will break tie votes on organizational matter. Following their annual legislative retreat, Senate Democratic leaders announced their intention to ask the courts to settle the matter.
See more here, here, here, and here.
Roanoke Senator John Edwards recently provided his thoughts on the Lt. Governor's authority to cast tie-breaking votes on the organization of the Senate.
Republicans and Democrats Announce Leadership Changes
During their annual legislative retreat, House Democrats elected Charlottesville Delegate David Toscano as House Minority Leader. Toscano replaces Delegate Ward Armstrong who was defeated on November 8th by Republican Charles Poindexter. Delegate Mark Sickles was named caucus chairman.
Republican reelected Kirk Cox (Colonial Heights) as House Majority Leader and Tim Hugo (Fairfax) as caucus chairman. Delegate Jackson Miller (Manassas) was appointed a majority whip to replace William Janis.
In the Senate (pending legal action-see above), long-time incumbent Tommy Norment (James City County) will serve as Majority Leader and Ryan McDougle (Hanover) as caucus chairman.
Competition Wanes
According to a recent Washington Post editorial, 95% of the state's House races were either uncontested or blowouts and only 6 of the 40 state Senate races were competitive. While their analogy to the Soviet political system is inapt to say the least, their broader point about the need nonpartisan redistricting reform is on target. In most cases, competitive elections produce better candidates as talking points are challenged and refined over the course of a campaign. Reasoned discourse and thoughtful debate are the lifeblood of a vibrant democracy and are a safeguard against epistemic closure.
Habeeb to Host Town Hall Meetings
Delegate Greg Habeeb (R-8th District) has announced he will host a number of town hall meetings prior to next year's session of the Virginia General Assembly.
     *December 7th, 7PM, Roanoke Count Administration Building
     *December 13th, 7 p.m., Montgomery County Government Center
     *December 14th, 7 p.m., Craig County High School Library
For more information, click here.

Chamber Board Approves 2012 Legislative Agenda
The Roanoke Regional Chamber's Board of Directors approved the 2012 Legislative Agenda during their November meeting. The 2012 Agenda is a summary of the Chamber's pro-business, pro-growth principles and identifies the Chamber's legislative priorities. The lack of a long-term, sustainable plan to adequately fund Virginia's transportation infrastructure remains a key concern. A copy of the Chamber's 2012 Agenda can be found here.  

Crafting a State Budget - A Look Ahead to 2012
During next year's session of the Virginia General Assembly session, lawmakers will draft the 2012-2014 biennial budget. In preparation for this onerous task, the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance Committee recently held retreats to provide lawmakers with an overview of the Commonwealth's fiscal health. With lingering concerns about economic growth, on-going questions about the European debt crisis, and potential cuts to the Department of Defense, a key driver of Virginia's economy, lawmakers will face considerable pressure to wring additional savings out of a state budget that has been balanced through a combination of cuts and gimmicks over the last several years. The Senate Finance Committee projects a potential budget deficit of $600million to $1 billion over the biennium with the House forecast a little more gloomy at $885million to $1.5billion. Governor McDonnell is currently reviewing budget reduction plans submitted by state agencies as he prepares to unveil his first two-year budget on December 19th.
Budget Reports from the House Appropriations Committee can be found here, the Senate Finance Committee here.

The Economic Benefits of Expanding Advance Broadband
Earlier this month, the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy released a heavily annotated report outlining the considerable economic benefits of increasing access to faster 3G and 4G broadband. Currently, access to 3G and 4G broadband is limited primarily to portions of Northern Virginia, Greater Richmond, and Hampton Roads. The report also concluded that upgrading Virginia's remaining 3G broadband infrastructure to 4G would support considerable economic growth over the next five years by enabling new business models to develop. The development of broadband would also mitigate traditional disadvantages of distance and low population density that hinder economic development in rural parts of the Commonwealth.
To access the report, click here.

Forbes - Virginia Trails Utah (again) in Annual Business Ranking
According to the latest Forbes.com annual rankings, Virginia remains the second best state for business, trailing Utah for the second straight year. Lauded for its educated workforce and pro-business regulatory environment, Virginia was denied the top spot largely because of its dependence on federal spending. States in the Northeast continue to finish near the bottom, with Maine earning the dubious distinction of placing dead last for the second straight year. See more here.

Local Government Briefing
 

Quality of Life Projects Briefing

Envision Roanoke

Have an idea on how to make Roanoke an even better place to live and work? Envision Roanoke has created a crowdsourcing website to generate discussion on new ideas. For more information, click here.
 

South County Library to Open January 3rd
The highly anticipated opening of Roanoke County's new library headquarters has been set for Tuesday, January 3rd at 10:00PM. The current library headquarters on Rt. 419 will close on December 16th so library staff can transfer its collection to the new facility. Construction on this project began in the fall of 2009. For more information, click here.

Gallop for the Greenways 2012
The annual fundraiser for Roanoke's growing network of pedestrian and bicycle trails has been scheduled for May 12, 2012. The Roanoke Parks and Recreation Department will take over the organization and management of this event from Valley Forward. Over the past five years, this event has raised over $120,000.00. Funds from next year's event will be used to help complete the section between Salem and the City of Roanoke, creating 18 miles of continuous trail. For more information, click here.  

Maps of the Greenways can be found here and here.

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