Proposed change to local tax authority on large scale wind projects could affect revenue collection
Under current law, wind turbine projects with more than 25 megawatts (MW) in generating capacity may be taxed locally at a rate that exceeds the real estate rate, but that does not exceed the Machinery and Tool (M&T) tax rate. HB 1327 (Austin) modifies this authority to allow a locality to exceed the real estate […]
Workers’ compensation legislation for Firefighters and First Responders update
Legislation, which has advanced from the House and the Senate, proposes adding several types of cancer to the list of illnesses presumed to be incurred in the course of employment for firefighters, as well as additional legislation applicable to multiple categories of first-responders that proposes adding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as an occupational illness. As […]
Strength in state revenues continues as “Budget Sunday” approaches
Members of the “money committees” have been meeting in informal workgroups this week in advance of the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee reporting their respective budgets on Sunday afternoon. A strong revenue report issued by the Governor this week may offer some additional flexibility in budget negotiations, although some uncertainty remains […]
Bill authorizing local government employees to issue summonses passes Senate committee
A bill introduced by Delegate Steve Heretick relating to local government’s power to issue summonses has cleared it’s first hurdle in the Senate, reporting out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 12 by a 15-0 vote. HB 1213 (Heretick) permits localities to appoint and train local government employees to enforce local ordinances by issuing […]
Minimum wage legislation update
On February 11, two different bills raising the minimum wage in Virginia passed the House and the Senate. HB 395 (Ward) cleared the House, 55-45, and SB 7 (Saslaw) passed the Senate, 21-19. Both bills would incrementally increase the wage from the current federally mandate rate of $7.25 per hour. As previously reported, these bills […]
Virginia Urban Agriculture Advisory Council fails to take root; continued to 2021
SB 854 (Petersen) sought to create the Virginia Urban Agriculture Advisory Council as an advisory council in the executive branch of state government. The purpose of the Council is to encourage urban agriculture and to contribute to building a local food economy, thereby benefiting Virginia by creating jobs, stimulating statewide economic development, circulating money from […]
Capitol Contact ALERT – Oppose Mandated Collective Bargaining for Public Employees
HB 582 (Guzman) mandates that Counties, as employers, are required to engage in collective bargaining with employees if only 30% of employees petition to form a collective bargaining unit and a majority of votes cast elect to designate a union or labor association as their exclusive representative to negotiate terms and conditions of employment. The Code […]
Revenue fairness bills advance at “crossover”
HB 785 (Watts and Kilgore) and SB 588 (Hanger), which make major progress in providing additional tools for counties to raise revenue, crossed another milestone this week in passing their respective chambers of origin. SB 588, which incorporated a similar bill by Senator Barbara Favola and several bills by Senator Lynwood Lewis, Senator Mamie Locke, […]
Local government mandate for public defenders’ salaries narrowly passes House
A problematic bill that mandates local governments supplement their public defenders’ salaries has narrowly passed the House of Delegates by a razor thin 50-48 vote. HB 869 (Bourne) requires that the governing body of any County or City that elects to supplement the compensation of the attorney for the Commonwealth, or any of their deputies […]
Peer-to-peer vehicle rental legislation finally clears committee
Legislation seeking to create a comprehensive framework for peer-to-peer vehicle rentals has finally made it out of Committee, reporting from Senate Finance by a vote of 14-1-1. Peer-to-peer vehicle rentals involve a vehicle owner listing a vehicle for rent through an electronic marketplace, which sometimes provides insurance, dispute resolution, or other services, but is not […]
Electric school bus legislation charges forward, school bus seat belt bill restrained
On February 10, the constitutional reading of SB 988 (Lucas) was dispensed by the Senate. This bill authorizes Dominion Energy to implement projects to encourage the proliferation of electric school buses and charging infrastructure to reduce the use of traditional diesel school buses and help with electric grid stabilization. This follows an announcement from Dominion […]
Virginia Food Access Investment Fund (VFAIF) advances
PHOTO CREDIT – Andrew Lamar Twitter Legislation establishing the Virginia Food Access Investment Fund (VFAIF) has survived the halfway mark of the General Assembly and appears to have a clear path to success. HB 1509 (McQuinn) and SB 1073 (McClellan) create the Virginia Food Access Investment Program and Fund, which will provide funding for the […]
Juvenile justice legislation continued to 2021
HB 551 (Ward) and SB 1033 (Locke) seek to encourage placement of youth involved in the juvenile justice system in small facilities that are close to home rather than relying on larger correctional facilities, an approach in keeping with recent work by the Department of Juvenile Justice to close Beaumont Correctional Center and reinvest the […]
Local authority to regulate or prohibit delivery robots on sidewalks and streets maintained
SB 758 (Marsden) as originally written made several changes related to electric personal delivery devices (aka delivery robots), including changing the weight limit of such devices from 50 to 200 pounds and allowing speeds of up to 10 miles per hour. As introduced the bill eliminated the ability of localities to regulate or prohibit the […]
Legislation reviewing and revising Commonwealth’s Attorney’s staffing and funding levels continued to 2021 Legislative Session
Senator Joe Morrissey and Delegate Marcus Simon introduced legislation this session that sought to review and drastically revise funding and staffing levels for Commonwealth’s Attorneys. SB 803 (Morrissey) and HB 1035 (Simon) were sweeping in nature. As introduced, the legislation would: Prohibit the Compensation Board, when determining staffing and funding levels for offices of attorneys […]
Central Virginia Authority legislation accelerates regional approach to transportation
HB 1541 (McQuinn) creates the Central Virginia Transportation Authority, composed of the Counties and Cities located in Planning District 15 (Goochland, Powhatan, Chesterfield/Colonial Heights, Henrico, Hanover, New Kent, Charles City, Richmond City). The authority will administer transportation funding generated through the imposition of an additional regional 0.7 percent sales and use tax and 2.1 percent […]