Financial Facts
The Internal Revenue Service issued tax withholding tables for 2018 to be used to implement changes to the tax law enacted last month. The IRS has asked employers to use the tables as soon as possible but no later than February 15, 2018. VACo Contact: Vicky Steinruck, CPA
VACo Opposes Solar Zoning Ordinance Bills
SB 429 (Stanley) and HB 508 (Hodges) severely limit a local government’s ability to determine the siting of solar facilities. SB 429 will potentially be heard in Senate Local Government Committee on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 23. HB 508 is referred to House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee. As of yet, no hearing has […]
FOIA and COIA Bills Introduced
A flurry of FOIA related bills would change public records disclosure and public meeting procedure. FOIA Formal Advisory Opinions HB 213 (Mullin) requires that formal advisory opinions issued by the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council (Council) be approved by the Council and, after such approval, be published on the Council’s website. The bill also […]
Ban the Box Bill Advances
SB 252 (Dance) prohibits state agencies from asking for information related to an arrest, charge, or conviction prior to receiving a conditional offer of employment. Exceptions to the prohibition include positions designated as sensitive or related to law-enforcement. The offer of employment may be withdrawn if the arrest or charge resulted in a conviction and if […]
Health Profession Legislation Discussed
SB 315 (Ruff) allows licensed audiologists to fit and sell hearing aids if they have earned a doctoral degree. Current law requires audiologists to also pass an examination to obtain licensure in the Commonwealth. While in the Senate Education and Health Subcommittee for Health Professions, an amendment passed to exempt both audiologists and opticians from […]
Senate Commerce and Labor Committee Considers Virginia Healthcare Marketplace and Minimum Wage Increases
On January 15, the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee met for its first hearing of the 2018 General Assembly Session. The Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Frank Wagner, examined 11 pieces of legislation. These bills dealt with a wide range of proposals including the creation of a Virginia Healthcare Marketplace under the Affordable Care […]
Wireless bill erodes local decision-making authority for the siting of towers and poles
HB 1258 (Kilgore) and SB 405 (McDougle) substantially limit the ability of local-elected officials to determine how wireless infrastructure is incorporated into their communities, and effectively removes citizen input in making decisions on the siting of towers and poles. VACo Members – Please contact your legislators to OPPOSE HB 1258 (Kilgore) and SB 405 (McDougle). […]
Virginia Grocery Investment Program and Fund
VACo supports SB 37 (Stanley), which creates the Virginia Grocery Investment Program and Fund. Once established, the program will leverage public-private partnerships and provide funding for the construction, rehabilitation, equipment upgrades, or expansion of grocery stores, small food retailers, and innovative food retail projects in underserved communities across the Commonwealth. The Program’s developers estimate that […]
Ammonia-Nitrogen Wastewater Concerns Reach the State Senate
VACo is closely following two bills introduced by Senator Mark Peake that seek to help localities mitigate the anticipated impacts on localities and wastewater authorities of the Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2013 water quality criteria for guidance – if the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality DEQ adopts these criteria as they are currently proposing. If […]
Public Safety Legislation
VACo is monitoring legislation related to changes in public safety policy as it relates to localities. During Gun Lobby Day, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee heard only gun-related legislation and reported a few out. SB 1 (Ebbin) prohibits the manufacture, import, sale or offer to sell a device used to increase the rate of […]
Bills enhancing county taxing authority introduced
Several bills have been introduced to provide counties with additional taxing authority. SB 200 (Favola) would equalize county taxing authority with that currently afforded to cities and towns. The bill would take effect July 1, 2019, and in the intervening time a workgroup would determine any additional statutory changes that might be required to implement […]
Legislation to assist with jail costs advances
SB 342 (Peake) seeks to provide relief to localities for the costs of housing state-responsible inmates in local and regional jails. The bill provides that local and regional jails would be compensated for the actual costs of housing state-responsible inmates; currently, the state contributes to the cost of housing these inmates by funding salaries for […]
Virginia General Assembly Convenes
The General Assembly convened on January 10 for the first day of the 2018 session. Newly-elected delegates were seated, the House adopted amendments to its rules, and members unanimously elected Delegate Kirk Cox as the 55th Speaker of the House. Both the House and Senate adopted the procedural resolution setting out the schedule for consideration […]
Governor McAuliffe Delivers His Final State of the Commonwealth Address
Governor Terry McAuliffe was thankful Wednesday night as he discussed his past four years in his last State of the Commonwealth address to lawmakers. The Governor thanked First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, Lieutenant Governor and Governor-Elect Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring. “I loved every minute working with Ralph and Mark, and I know they […]
Speaker Cox Announces Assignments to Standing Committees of the Virginia House of Delegates
PRESS RELEASE FROM SPEAKER KIRK COX Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox on Thursday announced the standing committees of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 2018-2019 General Assembly Session. Pursuant to House Rule 15, all committee members are appointed by the Speaker, who also designates the Chairman and Vice Chairman of each committee. […]
Local Government Administration
VACo is tracking general government legislation that may impact localities. SB 14 (Petersen) changes current law to require that only the county attorney or if there is no county attorney, the county clerk receive service for an action against a local official. Currently, section 8.01-300 of the Code of Virginia requires in an action against a […]