“Yesterday, federal employment data indicated that the unemployment rate in the Commonwealth dropped to 5.8 percent, the lowest rate since 2009.  This is a positive sign that Virginia is on a positive economic trajectory and yet another indication the job creation efforts of Governor McDonnell and Republicans in the General Assembly,” said Howell.

The February 2012 unemployment rate in Virginia stood at 5.8 percent, down from 6.2 percent in December 2011 and a peak of 7.2 percent in January 2010.  The drop in unemployment translates to over 50,000 fewer unemployment claims since the January 2010 peak according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  With a national unemployment rate of 8.3 percent, Virginia continues to outperform the nation as a whole in terms of job creation and retention.

“Job creation and economic development efforts have long been a priority of the House Republican Caucus.  We have had a great ally in Governor McDonnell pursuing various measures that attract business, encourage capital investment and reduce regulatory burdens that dampen economic vitality,” continued Howell.  “We could not be more pleased to see that our efforts have made a demonstrable difference to the economic well being of our business community and the prosperity of families across the Commonwealth.”

Included below are selected job creation and economic development bills sponsored by the House Republican Caucus during the 2012 General Assembly Session.

 2012 Legislative Accomplishments

• FY 2012-14 House Budget – HB 30 (Putney)
  • Includes $11.8 million in funding for the Governor’s Opportunity Fund, in turn creating jobs and stimulating economic innovation
  • Includes $4 million in manufacturing-based development programs to ensure that Virginia is a leader in the American Manufacturing renaissance
  • Includes $15 million for research and development efforts critical to the high-tech economy of Northern Virginia
• Fair Competition in Government Contracting – HB 33 (Comstock) & SB 242 (Obenshain)
  • Encourage competitive bidding on transportation and infrastructure projects to make the most of taxpayer dollars
  • Guarantees that free enterprise and full and open competition will determine how public construction contracts are awarded
  • Ensures neutrality and provides that the 96 percent of the Virginia private construction workforce who are non-unionized have a fair opportunity to compete for projects funded with our tax dollars

• Major Business Facility Jobs Tax Credit – HB 714 (Kilgore) & SB 368 (Reeves)
  • Extends the acceleration of the Major Business Facility Jobs Tax Credit, which incentivizes large businesses in all sectors to bring jobs into the Commonwealth
  • Encourages hiring of Virginians in a variety of sectors through business-friendly tax credits for each new, full-time, in-state hire
  • Stimulates business, particularly in economically distressed areas of Virginia, so that we can put Virginians back to work, help our businesses grow and continue the economic recovery here in Virginia.

• Renewable Energy Portfolio Incentives – HB 1102 (Miller)
  • Promotes research and development activity in Virginia by exploring and incentivizing job-creating domestic energy alternatives
  • Feeding the innovative engines in Northern Virginia will solidify our position as a national high-tech leader.

• Extension of Capital Gains Tax Exemption – HB 1013 (Comstock) & SB 226 (Herring)
  • Extends the current capital gains tax exemption for start ups
  • Allows our job creators to expand investment in science and technology by exempting investment in business start ups from capital gains taxes
  • This exemption encourages investors to risk their capital on Virginia’s entrepreneurs and create more good paying high tech jobs

• Extension of Telework Expenses Tax Credit – HB 551 (Comstock) & SB 238 (Herring)
  • Extends the telework tax credit for employers through the end of calendar year 2015
  • Promotes non-traditional work arrangements particularly important in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads

•  Small Business Investment Tax Credit – HB 585 (Merricks) & SB 344 (McDougle)
  • Creates an incentive program to encourage investment in Virginia’s small businesses
  • Promotes and encourages entrepreneurship for the small, local businesses that make up the backbone of Virginia’s economy

• Agriculture & Forestry Development Fund – HB 766 (Landes) & SB 128 (Stanley)
  • Supports Virginia’s farming and forestry businesses by offering grants and loans to attract processing facilities that utilize Virginia-grown products
  • Virginia’s agricultural and forestry sector remains the single largest driver of our economy
  • Encourages domestic processing of Virginia’s agricultural resources, increasing economic utility and creating jobs – particularly in rural areas of the Commonwealth

• Virginia Energy Plan – HB 1177 (Watson)
  • Encourages domestic, Virginia-based energy production  including natural gas, coal and wind-based alternatives
  • Embraces innovative, forward-looking solutions that will insulate the Commonwealth from potential volatility in the energy market while creating jobs here at home
• Encouraged Development at the Virginia Port Authority – HB 1183 (Cosgrove)
  • Extends various tax credits intended to incentivize traffic at the Port of Virginia, critical to the vitality of the entire Hampton Roads region
  • Targeted investments in Virginia’s maritime and shipping industries will increase international trade and domestic shipping

• Expanded Virginia Investment Partnership Eligibility – HB 243 (Cline) & SB 338 (Newman)
  • Encourages existing Virginia manufacturers and researchers to continue their investment in Virginia by adding production capacity, utilizing cutting-edge technology and modernizing assembly processes
  • Increasing the pool of businesses eligible for incentives will further stimulate economic development and job creation efforts across the Commonwealth

• The Virginia Jobs Investment Program – HB 768 (Landes)
  • Creates a new Virginia Jobs Investment Plan to encourage creation of well-paid jobs,  administered by the Virginia Department of Business Assistance
  • Coordinating the training of Virginia’s workforce with the development of diverse, new employment opportunities throughout the Commonwealth will improve Virginia’s already exceptional business climate

• Extension of Coalfield Employment Enhancement Tax Credit – HB 1192 (O’Quinn)

• Extends this tax credit which incentivizes not only the mining of Virginia’s coal deposits but also creates and retains jobs in Virginia’s coal industry
• Particularly in rural southwestern Virginia, we strive to help forge partnerships to will put Virginians to work while capitalizing on our natural resources
• The coal industry has an incredible economic ripple effect all across Virginia, and ultimately leads to more affordable electricity for all Virginians

"My colleagues and I in the House Republican Caucus were pleased by the passage of Senate Bill 497 and House Bill 1130, which I carried in the House. These landmark reforms will permanently put the Virginia Retirement System on a structurally sound foundation and I can think of no greater ending to a busy and productive legislative session," said Howell.

The reform measures adopted by the General Assembly create a hybrid retirement program - similar to a measures recently adopted in other states - for all new state employees beginning in 2014. The hybrid plan mixes features of a pension-style defined benefit plan with a 401(k) style defined contribution program.

"The passage of these bills reflects the commitment of the members of the House and the Senate, Republican and Democrats alike, to ensure the long term solvency of the Virginia Retirement System," said Delegate S. Chris Jones (R - Suffolk), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Compensation and Retirement, which governs VRS. "These bills are the culmination of efforts, over the past three sessions by the General Assembly, to enact common sense reforms to the VRS for the benefit of its members, both current and future employees."

"These reforms are important steps that will not only ensure the long-term solvency of the VRS, but they will also help us maintain structurally balanced budgets in the years to come. These reforms are also critical for us to retain our state's prized AAA bond rating," commented Majority Leader M. Kirkland Cox (R - Colonial Heights).

"I consider the passage of these bills to be one of the most important legislative achievements of my 25-year career in the General Assembly. It is my sincere hope that as Republicans and Democrats in both bodies worked together on this landmark legislation that will improve the financial health of VRS, we will now turn our sincere efforts towards a resolution on the budget," said Howell.

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The meeting will be held in the Appropriations Committee Room on the 9^th Floor of the General Assembly Building.  

For further information, please contact Robert P. Vaughn, Staff Director of the House Appropriations Committee at (804) 698-1590.  More information will be posted on our website (http://hac.virginia.gov) as it becomes available.

Members of the House Budget Conference Committee: 

• The Honorable Lacey E. Putney
• The Honorable M. Kirkland Cox
• The Honorable Beverly J. Sherwood
• The Honorable R. Steven “Steve” Landes
• The Honorable Chris S. Jones
• The Honorable Johnny S. Joannou

"With the defeat of the House budget yesterday by Senate Democrats, the Commonwealth of Virginia entered uncharted financial waters. Never before has the General Assembly failed to put a version of the Budget into conference. As many of us have said over the last several days, the obstructive actions of Senate Democrats put Virginia on uncertain financial footing."

"My colleagues and I in the House Republican Caucus were unwilling to allow such a state of affairs to continue. So today, Appropriations Committee Chairman Lacey Putney asked for the unanimous consent of the House of Delegates to reintroduce the FY 2012-14 House budget."

Due to procedural deadlines in the General Assembly, introduction of new legislation this late in the legislation session requires the unanimous consent of the body.

"We are pleased that our Democrat colleagues in the House of Delegates were willing to cross party lines to work with us on the most important piece of legislation to come before us this session. With their help, we now have a vehicle for continued consideration of the biennial budget."

"Today the entire House of Delegates - Republican and Democrats alike - sent a message to Senate Democrats: we have let this political theater play out for long enough. Now, Senate Democrats must come to the table and earnestly work with us on the financial blueprint that will govern Virginia's services and spending for the next two years."

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Mr. Speaker, I rise for a request and a point of personal privilege.

Mr. Speaker my request is for unanimous consent to introduce legislation.  Speaking to the request.

Several weeks ago I was humbled by this body in recognizing my 50 years of service in the House of Delegates.  Your accolades and kindness meant a lot to me and my family.

As I look back on my tenure in this great institution, I have witnessed a lot of change both in Virginia and in the General Assembly.  Some might say that the changes I have seen would qualify me to be Forest Gump.

Mr. Speaker, I have been a member of the Appropriations Committee since 1966.  At that time, as a junior member of the committee, we met on the fourth floor of the State Capitol.  The meetings were closed to the press, public and even to members of the Committee.  Only the executive committee and the Governor’s budget Director where allowed in the Committee room.  I was allowed in only by invitation.

Of course back then, the General Assembly only met every other year.  All that began to change in 1971, with the adoption of a new State Constitution, which called for annual meeting of the General Assembly.

Why did we need to meet annually?  Mr. Speaker, the answer is quite simple. The Commonwealth of Virginia was changing and was becoming an emerging economy. The fact of the matter was that as a modernizing state, our budget was not just any old piece of legislation; rather it drives our policies that fund the core service of government both at the state as well as the local government level.

Simply put Mr. Speaker, the budget is the single most important piece of legislation we vote on.

Mr. Speaker, the move to an annual Session was just the starting point with regards to the importance of our responsibility as Members of the General Assembly to develop and adopt a biennial budget.Clearly the responsibility of the state’s finances ultimately and constitutionally belongs to us.  The Constitution is very clear, “No money shall be paid out of the State treasury except in pursuance of appropriations made by law”.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that would be House Bill 30 that the Constitution is referencing.

Mr. Speaker, as the years passed, the House of Delegates too began to modernize.  In 1976, Delegate Ed Lane of Richmond hired the first professional staff of the Appropriations Committee. Of course, at that time, the budget originated in the House of Delegates.

The House would adopt a budget and send it to the Senate of Virginia.  The Senate had about 5 days to make its changes prior to sending the budget back and setting up the budget conference committee.

It was not until around 1982 that the Senate, under then Senator Ed Willey, also of Richmond, demanded that the budget be introduced in both bodies.  While the Senate had their own budget, the long standing tradition and practice has been to leave the Senate budget in the House Appropriations Committee and use the House Budget as the vehicle from which the budget conference would work.

Since that time, the Senate has never failed to adopt a budget, at least until now.  Likewise, the Senate has never failed to adopt amendments to the House Budget in order to set up a conference committee, at least until now.

During my tenure, there have been three occasions in which a budget impasse has occurred -- 2001, 2004, and 2006.

In each of those cases, the impasse was between the House and Senate.  Despite these impasses, in each case, both bodies adopted their respective budgets and a committee of conference was called.  Never have we had a situation in which there was no budget from either chamber to work with.

Mr. Speaker, call me a bit old fashion, but I truly believe that we, in this House of Delegates, are duty bound, both constitutionally and based on our long tradition to have a House budget in which to set up a committee of conference.

Mr. Speaker, in my 51 years as a member of this House, I have not risen and requested of the body the unanimous consent to introduce a bill.  However, I feel as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, it is my responsibility to introduce, with unanimous consent, budget bills for the current 2010-12 biennium and for the 2012-14 biennium.  The bills are identical to HB 29 and 30, which I introduced in December.  If consent is granted, the Committee will meet adopt the identical amendments that were approved by the House last Thursday.

While I could ask his Excellency the Governor, to use his authority and do so, I believe that as clearly articulated in the Constitution, the appropriations process is the responsibility of the General Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, throughout this Session, the Appropriations Committee has reached out to all 100 members.  We received your input, and I believe the budget we adopted was reflective of that collective input.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Gentleman from Charlottesville for the courtesy of meeting with me prior to the Session to discuss my request.

Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that this body will honor my request for unanimous consent to introduce two new budgets.

RICHMOND, VA – This morning the House Republican Caucus held their weekly Policy Work Group press conference.  Various health care initiatives introduced and supported by the House were discussed.  Following the press conference, the Policy Work Group issued the following statement:“The 2012 General Assembly session has produced several positive pieces of health care legislation that will improve coverage and quality of care for all Virginians,” said Delegate Chris Peace (R-Hanover), host of the weekly Republican press conference.  “For women, children, the sick and the disabled, these measures improve access to medical resources and information and will meaningfully improve patient care in the Commonwealth.  With that motivation in mind, I offered House Bill 1273, which requires insurance companies and HMOs to offer coverage in their plans for oral chemotherapy treatment,” said Peace. 

Delegate Dr. John O’Bannon (R-Henrico) introduced House Bill 343, which creates the Virginia All-Payer Claims Database system.  “The All-Payer Claims Database requires insurance companies, pharmacists, hospitals and various other medical professionals to collect information regarding patient care, diagnosis and treatment.  This database is a user-friendly tool intended to increase transparency, inform the patient and improve accountability in the medical community,” said Dr. O’Bannon.  The All-Payer Claims Database passed the House of Delegates on February 14 and is currently before the Senate.

Following the tragic death of a seven year-old in Chesterfield this year, several members of the House Republican Caucus have worked on legislation that would improve access to epinephrine in public schools.  Ammaria Johnson suffered a severe allergy-induced anaphylactic reaction while at school in January and died shortly thereafter.  “One in thirteen children suffer from a food allergy in the United States.  House Bill 1107 requires schools to maintain a supply of emergency epinephrine for students who have forgotten their epi-pens or who are unaware they have a food allergy,” said Delegate Roxann Robinson (R-Chesterfield).  “I want to thank Delegate Tag Greason and Delegate Peter Farrell for their work on this issue and hope that this legislation will improve school safety for children with severe allergies.”

Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions, Delegate Bobby Orrock (R-Caroline) introduced legislation that requires health care service providers performing mammograms to disclose breast density information to patients.  “One in eight women in the United States will suffer from breast cancer in their lifetime.  At present, mammograms include breast density information but the patient is not always given this information,” said Orrock.  “Breast density is important information for women to have as it gives a fuller understanding of the results of a standard mammogram and can also be useful for preventive screenings and care.  House Bill 83 gives women this additional information improves their understanding of the results of a mammogram and helps guide future preventive efforts,” he continued.

Delegate Riley Ingram (R-Hopewell) discussed health care improvements included in the House budget for Fiscal Years 2012-14.  “The House budget includes several important health care initiatives and makes restoring the health care safety net a particular priority,” said Ingram, who serves as Chairman of the Appropriations Sub-Committee on Health and Human Resources.  “To help care for some of Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens, the House budget include over $6 million to restore funding for locally run free clinics, health care centers and dental service centers that service the uninsured in Virginia.  The House budget includes a further $1.3 million to support elderly citizens in need of community-based care and related support services,” said Ingram. 

“Perhaps the most important investment in Virginia’s health care safety net this year comes through increased intellectual disability and development disability waiver slots.  Following last year’s $30 million investment in the Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Trust Fund, we have included a further 970 ID waiver slots and 100 DD waiver slots in the House budget this biennium.  Not only does this investment bring the Commonwealth into compliance with the Department of Justice settlement, but it will provide a higher quality of care in the optimal setting for individuals in need around the Commonwealth,” Ingram continued.

The House Republican Caucus Policy Work Group will hold a press conference each Monday at 11:00 am.

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