“The Republican-led House made real progress during the 2011 Regular Session and on many fronts, especially in passing a fiscally sound and structurally balanced state budget that funds core government services,” said Speaker Howell. “At our insistence, the final budget agreement includes no new fees or higher taxes. It has no earmarks for non-state agencies. There is no funding or debt for a new ‘Taj Mahal’ to replace the General Assembly Building. There is $67 million less in authorized debt. And, the accelerated sales tax is eliminated for 80% of retailers. Yet, there also are prudent investments in economic development, transportation, education, health care and other important services. Overall, we’ve had a very productive legislative session.”

Below is the outcome for a selected list of 100+ measures – grouped by topic – supported by the House Republican Majority. In all, about 1,600 pieces of legislation were approved by the General Assembly this year.

Budget & Taxes

HB 1500 (Putney — Bedford)                       Passed House 97-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

• Includes no new taxes and eliminates $5.7 million in fee increases adopted last year

• Eliminates $66.8 million in previously authorized debt

• Deposits an $64 million into the Rainy Day Fund, on top of that authorized in the Governor’s introduced budget, bringing the total deposit to $114 million

• Eliminates in large part the accelerated sales tax that weighed on retailers across the Commonwealth

HB 1820 (Ware, R.L. — Powhatan)              Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Imposes a $100 million cap on land preservation tax credits per year and provides for the review of certain real property appraisals performed for the purpose of receiving a land preservation tax credit.

HB 1437 (Cole — Spotsylvania)                    Passed House 94-5                 Passed Senate 38-2

Gives localities some flexibility in determining the basis for calculating business, professional and occupation license taxes within their jurisdiction.

HJ 852 (Cline — Rockbridge)                        Passed House 68-26               Killed by Senate Committee

Encourages the United States Congress to adopt legislation requiring a balanced federal budget and to call a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced federal budget.

Jobs, Energy & Economic Development Opportunities

HB 1500 (Putney — Bedford)                       Passed House 97-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

• Includes over $40 million in various job-creating economic development efforts
• Eliminates the vast majority of the accelerated sales tax that hit retailers throughout the Commonwealth
• Includes no new fees or tax increases
• Invests $32.7 million to capitalize the new Transportation Infrastructure Bank for use by private and public entities in financing necessary transportation priorities

HB 1447 (Cline — Rockbridge)                     Passed House 76-23               Passed Senate 40-0

Grants individual and business income tax credits of 15-20% for expenses related to qualified high-tech research and development in Virginia.

HB 2197 (Comstock — Fairfax)                    Passed House 89-10               Passed Senate 40-0

Grants employers a tax credit for expenses incurred in developing and implementing telework arrangements for employees.

HJ 500 (Bell, R.P. — Staunton)                     Passed House 61-36               Killed by Senate Committee

Incorporates Virginia’s “Right to Work” statutue into the State Consitution.

HB 2052 (Hugo — Fairfax)                           Passed House 63-32               Killed by Senate Committee

Requires the use of secret ballots in any procedure authorizing or selecting a labor organization to represent workers.

HB 2221 (Oder  — Newport News)              Passed House 85-14               Passed Senate 40-0

Creates an exemptipon from the aircraft sales and use tax for businesses headquartered in Virginia that make a minimum of $4 million capital investment in Virginia, create at least 50 new jobs and enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.

HB 1982 (Kilgore — Scott)                           Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Reduces the eligibility criteria for making use of the Governor’s Development Opportunity Fund from $10 million in private investment and 100 new jobs created to $5 million and 50 new jobs.

Education

HB 2510 (Cox, M.K. — Colonial Heights)    Passed House 98-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

• Sets a goal of creating 100,000 additional undergraduate degrees in Virginia over next 15 years
• Emphasizes the importance of highly competitive “STEM” degree programs, which include science, technology, engineering and math
• Increases access and affordability for more in-state residents wanting to attend Virginia’s institutions of higher learning
• Improves institutional efficiency by encouraging colleges and universities to analyze the use of state-owned buildings, find opportunities to use buildings year-round and explore technological alternatives for summer and on-line classes

HB 1416 (Loupassi — Richmond City)         Passed House 48-46               Killed by Senate Committee

Requires local school boards to report the percentage of their budget spent on instructional spending, and, if the percentage is less than 65 percent, to develop a plan to increase instructional spending

HB 2314 (Massie — Henrico)                        Passed House 54-45               Killed by Senate Committee

Enables Virginia corporations that have given cash donations to non-profit groups offering tuition assistance for non-public schools to receive a corporate income tax credit equal to 70% of their charitable contribution.

HB 1554 (Wilt — Rockingham)                     Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Delays implementation of certain accreditation requirements to allow school systems to effectively allocate limited financial resources.

HB 1793 (Tata — Virginia Beach)                 Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Allows local school boards to award diploma seals for Board of Education approved diplomas.

HB 1792 (Tata — Virginia Beach)                 Passed House 95-3                 Passed Senate 40-0

Codifies the flexibility given in the Standards of Quality for use of appropriations act funds for instructional staffing for mathematics, limited English proficiency, reading, technology and assistant principals.

Health Care

HB 1500 (Putney — Bedford)                       Passed House 97-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

• Sets aside an additional $30 million for the Behavioral Health Trust Fund to help intellectually and developmentally disabled Virginians
• Includes $14.3 million for additional staffing and accomodations for the Sexually Violent Predator Program at the Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation
• Restores a total of $12.5 million in CSA funding for Children’s Mental Health Services

HB 2467 (Greason — Loudoun)                    Passed House 74-24               Passed Senate 27-11

Ensures that health insurance plans in the Commonwealth cover autism spectrum disorders for children ages 2 through 6 up to a yearly cap of $35,000.

HB 1428 (Bell, R.P. — Staunton)                  Passed House 66-33               Killed by Senate Committee

Requires that abortion clinics be regulated in the same fashion as hospitals, ambulatory clinics and dentists offices, including biennial inspections and provision of certain emergency life-saving equipment.

HB 1419 (Byron — Campbell)                       Passed House 61-33               Killed by Senate Committee

Eliminates mandatory, opt-out HPV vaccines given to schoolgirls starting in the sixth grade, and replaces the mandate with an opt-in vaccination program.

HB 2147 (Cline — Rockbridge)                     Passed House 60-36               Killed by Senate Committee

Requires that health insurance plans that will be available through Virginia’s health benefits exchange shall not cover abortions.

HB 1675 (Pogge — James City County)       Passed House 94-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Provides procedures and standards for agencies or governmental entities applying for variances or exemptions to regulations governing emergency medical services.

HB 1960 (Rust — Fairfax)                             Passed House 94-5                 Passed Senate 40-0

Clarifies that institutions of higher education must be formed, headquartered and have their principal place of business in Virginia in order to be eligible for the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program.

HB 1968 (Robinson — Chesterfield)             Passed House 95-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Provides that whenever a certification, signature or other attestation is required by a physician, it will also be deemed to include such attestation by a physician assistant.

Law Enforcement & Public Safety

HB 1500 (Putney — Bedford)                       Passed House 97-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

• Includes $400,000 in additional funding for the Line of Duty program, bringing total FY 2012 funding up to $3.4 million
• Includes an additional $8.3 million for sheriffs in FY 2011 and $14.3 million in FY 2012
• Funds 27 new judges in jurisdications with heavy caseloads

HB 1995 (Janis — Henrico)                           Passed House 98-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Protects victims of child pornography by providing civil restitution as an additional punishment and deterrent to producers of child pornography.

HB 1434 (Garrett — Lynchburg)                   Passed House 98-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Adds synthetic marijuana, otherwise known as “spice,” to the list of substances that are illegal to possess, buy or sell in Virginia.

HB 1403 (Loupassi — Richmond City)         Passed House 98-0                 Killed in Senate Committee

Protects citizens and law enforcement officers by allowing seizure and sale of vehicles involved in eluding police officers or that otherwise are used to endanger law enforcement officers, with proceeds flowing to the Literary Fund.

HB 1407 (Janis — Henrico)                           Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Increases penalties for underage drinking and driving, keeping all Virginians safer on our roads.

HB 1590 (Iaquinto — Virginia Beach)          Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Expands the jurisdiction of Virginia’s General District Courts by raising the maximum claim limit from $15,000 to $25,000.

HB 1573 (Cleaveland — Botetourt)              Passed House 75-23               Killed by Senate Committee

Codifies the common law “castle doctrine” by allowing the use of deadly force in defense of self or others when an individual is threatened with seriously bodily injury intheir own home.

HB 1589 (Iaquinto — Virginia Beach)          Passed House 75-23               Killed by Senate Committee

Requires installation of an ignition interlock after a single DUI conviction.

HB 1651 (Cosgrove — Chesapeake)              Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Requires the DMV to cancel licenses and other identification cards issued to indivudals who are later discovered to be illegally present in Virginia.

HB 1777 (Gilbert — Shenandoah)                 Passed House 98-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Provides that those who create or sell fake birth certificates are guilty of a Class 6 Felony.

HB 1859 (Anderson — Prince William)         Passed House 81-8                 Passed Senate 40-0

Requires state agencies entering into contracts to require E-Verify use by contractors on projects over $50,000.

HB 1421 (Albo — Fairfax)                            Passed House 73-26               Killed by Senate Committee

Prevents agencies, political subdivisions and localities from limiting enforcement of federal immigration laws or establishing “sanctuary cities.”

HB 1465 (Peace — Hanover)                         Passed House 75-24               Killed by Senate Committee

Requires all public post-secondary institutions in the Commonwealth to develop and implement rules prohibiting the enrollment of illegal aliens.

HB 1468 (Albo — Fairfax)                            Passed House 83-16               Killed by Senate Committee

Requires that all local departments of social services verify the legal presernce of an individual applying for public assistance benefits.

HB 1934 (Miller, J.H. — Manassas)               Passed House 78-20               Killed by Senate Committee

Directs Virginia’s State Police to enter into a memorandum of agreement with federal immigration enforcement officers thereby allowing Virginia’s State Police to perform immigration enforcement duties within the Commonwealth.

HB 2333 (Lingamfelter — Prince William)    Passed House 81-18               Killed by Senate Committee

Establishes E-Verify users and in-state businesses a preference for purposes of breaking a tie bid during the public procurement process.

HB 1757 (Wilt — Rockingham)                     Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Heightens protections afforded victims of domestic violation by expanding Address Confidentiality Program.

HB 2225 (Wright — Lunenberg)                   Passed House 98-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Requires the Department of Corrections to establish individual inmate trust accounts including sources of inmate income up to $1,000 payable upon parole or discharge.

HB 2063 (Bell, R.B. — Albemarle)               Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Expands the scope of protective orders available to citizens of the Commonwealth to address the issues of dating violence and stalking.

HB 1449 (Crockett-Stark — Wythe)             Passed House 99-0                 Killed by Senate Committee

Updates the evolving list of substances, used to manufacture methamphetamines, whose possession coupled with intent to manufacture are punishable as a Class 6 Felony.

Government Reform & Savings

HB 2076 (Landes — Augusta)                       Passed House 96-2                 Passed Senate 40-0

Establishes the Office of the Inspector General, which will investigate allegations of fraud, waste, abuse and corruption by state and non-state agencies and officers.

HB 2435 (Habeeb — Salem)                          Passed House 97-0                 Passed Senate 40-0 Requires the Virginia Department of Corrections to eliminate an outdated mandate requiring correctional facilities to make duplicate reports to the Department of Corrections and Compensation Board.

HB 2376 (Habeeb — Salem)                          Passed House 98-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Requires the Department of Social Services to eliminate an unnecessary mandat related to office space requirements.

HJ 542 (LeMunyon — Fairfax)                      Passed House 59-34               Killed by Senate Committee

Calls for an Article V Constitutional Convention to ratify the Repeal Amendment, a measure which would strengthen federalism by allowing a majority of states, acting in tandem, to repeal federal laws and regulations.

HJ 852 (Cline — Rockbridge)                        Passed House 68-26               Killed by Senate Committee

Encourages the United States Congress to adopt legislation requiring a balanced federal budget and to call a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced federal budget.

HB 1457 (Marshall, R.G. — Prince William) Passed House 95-3                 Passed Senate 40-0

Increases the civil penalties imposed for intentional violations of Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act.

HB 2095 (Jones — Suffolk)                           Passed House 85-14               Passed Senate 34-6

Provides for the loss of benefits provided through the Virginia Retirement (VRS) System for any individual convicted of a felony arising out of misconduct in any position covered by VRS retirement programs.

Transportation

HB 2527 (Howell, W.J. — Stafford)             Passed House 65-33               Passed Senate 32-7

• Creates the Transportation Infrastructure Bank, for use by public and private entities pursuing transportation projects across the Commonwealth
• Enhances VDOT’s popular revenue sharing program to incentivize localities to provide matching funds for transportation priorities
• Accelerates previously authorized debt to take advantage of low interest rates and a competitive bidding climate

HB 2051 (Carrico — Grayson)                       Passed House 94-4                 Passed Senate 40-0

Establishes procedures for enforcement and the issuance of citations for certain large vehicles violating size and weight limits on Virginia’s roadways.

HB 1993 (Janis — Henrico)                           Passed House 67-31               Killed by Senate Committee

Gives discretion to law enforcement officers to charge individuals running red lights with either the underlying infraction or reckless driving based on the surrounding circumstances.

HB 1432 (Greason — Loudoun)                    Passed House 90-8                 Passed Senate 26-14

Extends for one year access to High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes for clean fuel vehicles, regardless of the number of occupants

HB 1692 (Stolle — Virginia Beach)               Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Permits Virginia Beach to set variable speed limits on highways within its jurisdiction to account for various conditions that impact road safety.

HB 1558 (Scott, E.T. — Madison)                 Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Prohibits certain overweight farm and agricultural machinery from operating on the Interstate Highway System.

HB 2508 (Morgan — Gloucester)                  Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Adds wharfs, piers and docks to the list of landings controlled, for purposes of legal control or transfer, by the Commonwealth Transportation Board.

HB 1947 (Cox, J.A. — Hanover)                   Passed House 90-7                 Passed Senate 34-6

Removes certain requirements related to notice of intent to enter onto a landowner’s property.

Veterans & Military

HB 1862 (Cosgrove — Chesapeake)              Passed House 98-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Extends the licenses, certifications and other identification documents of spouses accompanying a member of the military abroad.

HB 1645 (O'Bannon — Henrico)                   Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Codifies the constitutional amendment adopted by voters providing a real property tax exemption for the primary residence of veterans who have a 100 percent, service-related disability.

HB 1861 (Anderson — Prince William)         Passed Houe 97-0                   Passed Senate 40-0

Waives the one-year residency requirement for veterans attending institutions of higher learning in Virginia, allowing veterans to immediately qualify for in-state tuition.

HB 1761 (Cox, M.K. — Colonial Heights)    Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Provides supplemental coverage for members of the armed services through Virginia’s cafeteria plan for retirees and dependents eligible for TRICARE supplemental benefits.

HB 1557 (Cox, M.K. — Colonial Heights)    Passed House 98-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Requires the Department of Veterans Services maintain a certain ratio of staff to veterans in the Commonwealth.

HB 1774 (Sherwood — Frederick)                Passed House 98-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Authorizes the Governor to allocate funds for the Virginia National Guard and State Defense Force for purposes of preparedness in the absence of an official state of emergency.

HB 1535 (Merricks — Pittsylvania)               Passed House 94-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Provides that the Boards of Medicine and Nursing may accept relevant medical experience towards certain civilian, medical certifications.

HB 1848 (Stolle — Virginia Beach)               Passed House 98-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Provides that an established Virginia domicile, and attendant in-state tuition, of an active duty military spouse is not affected by the maintenance of a second residence, due to military service, outside the jurisdiction.

HB 1697 (Athey — Warren)                          Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Exempts all Department of Veterans Services facilities from requirements related to certificates of public need.

Federalism

HB 1438 (Cole — Spotsylvania)                    Passed House 65-33               Killed by Senate Committee

Asserts Virginia's authority under the 10th amendment to be free from federal regulation of goods manufactured in, sold in, and consumed in Virginia

HJ 542 (LeMunyon — Fairfax)                      Passed House 59-34               Killed by Senate Committee

Calls for an Article V Constitutional Convention to ratify the Repeal Amendment, a measure which would strengthen federalism by allowing a majority of states, acting in tandem, to repeal federal laws and regulations.

HJ 577 (O’Bannon — Henrico)                      Passed House 63-33               Killed by Senate Committee

Urges the U.S. Congress to limit the FCC’s authority over regulation of the Internet.

HJ 578 (O’Bannon — Henrico)                      Passed House 63-33               Killed by Senate Committee

Urges the U.S. Congress to recognize the separation of powers enshrined in the U.S. Constutiton and encourages Congress to refrain from expanding the rulemaking authority of the FTC.

HB 1397 (Marshall, R.G. — Prince William) Passed House 68-30               Killed by Senate Committee

Exempts qualified residential and manufactured buildings in Virginiafrom requirements stemming from federal energy efficiency standards, provided that such buildings meet certain standards articulated in the Statewide Uniform Building Code.

Other Improvements to Virginia’s Quality of Life

HB 1621 (Knight — Virginia Beach)             Passed House 97-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Expands the defintion of open-space land to include agricultural and forestal production areas.

HB 1954 (Villanueva — Virginia Beach)       Passed House 98-0                 Killed by Senate Committee

Clarifies that educational, artistic and theatrical exemptions to obscenity laws do not extend to child pornography and other offenses involving children.

HB 2372 (Edmunds — Halifax)                    Passed House 97-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Allows certain state vehicles performing environmental functions to be equipped with flashing amber warning lights.

HB 2425 (Ingram — Hopewell)                     Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Gives property owners notice and the opportunity to pay a tenant’s unpaid water or sewer fees before shut off.

HB 1712 (Wright — Lunenberg)                   Passed House 98-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Clarifies that those fishing in interjurisdictional inland waters are subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which he is fishing.

HB 1928 (Marshall, D.W. — Danville)          Passed House 95-4                 Passed Senate 39-0

Amends the process for independent external review of health carrier’s adverse decisions regarding the scope of health benefits offered to an individual.

HB 1929 (Marshall, D.W.  — Danville)         Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Provides that during the public procurement process, if an out of state entity is the lowest responsive bidder, and a resident of a state that permits in state price matching preferences, Virginia will allow in state businesses a second chance to match or beat the out of state bid.

HB 1440 (Marshall, R.G. — Prince William) Passed House 62-36               Killed by Senate Committee

Recognizes that unborn children, from conception onward, enjoy the rights and privileges of any other citizen in the Commonwealth.

HB 2024 (May — Loudoun)                          Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 39-0

Requires applications to the State Corporation Commission for large electrical transmission lines must include a description of efforts to minimize environmental, historic and other adverse effects.

HB 1718 (Merricks — Pittsylvania)               Passed House 99-0                 Killed by Senate Committee

Updates sections of the Uniform Commercial Code addressing negotiable instruments, bank deposits and collections to reflect new case law and technological advances.

HB 2519 (Morefield — Tazewell)                  Passed House 96-3                 Passed Senate 40-0

Clarifies that when an agency has an opportunity to comment on a Virginia Water Protection Permit and fails to do so within 45 days, the permit will be deemed approved without further possibility of comment.

HB 2251 (Nutter — Montgomery)                 Passed House 95-2                 Passed Senate 40-0

Provides that when electronic pollbooks fail and no other options are available, elections officers shall maintain a written list of those voting and provide provisional ballots.

HB 1608 (Orrock — Caroline)                       Passed House 94-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Establishes the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Fund and designates the Department of Social Services as the state agency responsible for state efforts relating to public agencies and charitable groups assisting low-income families.

HB 2471 (Poindexter — Franklin)                 Passed House 98-0                 Passed Senate 40-0

Updates the Coal Mine Safety Act, bringing it in line with federal and industry standards.

HB 1874 (Purkey — Virginia Beach)             Passed House 99-0                 Passed Senate 38-0

Brings Virginia’s tax code into greater conformity with federal tax code.

NOTE:  The above list of over 100 bills and resolutions is not intended to be a complete record of all legislation sponsored and passed by the 60-member strong House Republican Majority in the 2011Regular Session.  The short summaries above are provided only for convenience and are not meant to be a complete description of the highlighted legislation.  For more details about a bill or resolution, contact the delegate who patroned the measure or click on the number, which links to the General Assembly’s Legislative Information Service (LIS).  LIS provides the entire legislative history and actual text of all bills and resolutions, amendments and conference reports, as passed by both the Virginia House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia.

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Filling in for Jimmy, guest host Congressman Randy Forbes and the Speaker discussed the lessons Washington can learn from Virginia:

• The no-tax-increase way from a $4.2 Billion deficit to a balanced budget
• How to foster a pro-business, pro-jobs economy

As well as the sure-fire method to stop job creation—create uncertainty for business with the Obama/Congressional Democrat unclear agenda of bloated government, new taxes, and increased regulation.

Check out Landes' speech on YouTube.

The transcript of his remarks follows:

Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, as you know, I'm a newbie to the budget conference this year.  But, one thing I do know already is that we have to figure out how many dollars we have to spend before we can actually spend those dollars.

Today, I’d like to talk about where we are relative to the revenues in the state budget.

As you know, we’ve had a challenge the last few years with whether the state revenue projections are on target and have really been accurate related to dollars coming in to the Commonwealth and making sure that we account for those in our state budget.

The last few years, unfortunately, those have not always been on target.

In Fiscal Year 2008, the final revenue projections barely met our forecast, and we ended the year only $5 million above the forecast.

Last year, even after pulling down the state revenue forecast by $821 million in the mid-2009 Session re-forecast, Governor Kaine's forecast overestimated revenues by $299 million.  Unfortunately, the Commonwealth ended the year with a substantial budget shortfall.

Thankfully, in the House, we had the foresight to insist the budget conferees set aside a state revenue reserve of $150 million, which did help the state close the books at the end of the year to offset the impact of the FY 2009 shortfall.

This year, the House incorporated Governor McDonnell's three-year upward adjustment in the state revenue mid-session reforecast, totaling $200 million.  But, the House also set aside an additional $165 million for deposit into the Commonwealth’s Revenue Stabilization (Rainy Day) Fund to help offset any potential setbacks that we may experience because of the weak economy. While all of us are pleased that the economy is showing some signs of improvement, we also know that economists believe that the economy is not recovering as quickly as we've seen in the past and that the recovery will probably be slow and steady, not like the robust recoveries that we're used to seeing in past years.

Now, that's what the House of Delegates did this year in its budget relative to revenues.

But, as Paul Harvey always used to say, “here’s the rest of the story" – regarding what our Senate colleagues have done with their budget.

Mr. Speaker, in contrast to the House, the Senate not only adopted and spent the entire $200 million recommended by Governor McDonnell, but also, in essence, revised the state revenue forecast and added an additional $247 million in revenues over the three-year period.

In particular, the Senate revisions included an amount of $69.1 million in the current year when we still trail the forecast with only four months remaining until the end of this fiscal year on June 30.

That's concerning.

In addition to spending the $247 million in additional (or what I would consider pumped-up) revenues, the Senate eliminated $40 million that Governor Kaine had included in House Bill 30 as a deposit for the Rainy Day Fund.  And, they spent that $40 million too.

In my estimation, ladies and gentlemen of the House, the House and Senate budget conferees have to deal with the revenue issue.  This is the most important thing we're going to have to do in the near term.

It's very difficult and very troubling when we're going into this conference with the fact that not only did the Senate build their budget on what I consider faulty and dangerous revenue assumptions, but they've also built a lot of the spending they've done in their budget on false promises, because those dollars just are not there.

What the Senate has done by spending more than every cent that we've tried to set aside in the past, the Senate also has raised expectations that many programs will not be cut.

The House took the more prudent course to assess our revenues, spend them accordingly and make the cuts necessary to meet our constitutional obligation of balancing our state budget.

Ladies and gentleman, I hope you will join me in thanking the members of the House Appropriations Committee on doing the prudent thing and not just trying to puff up the Commonwealth’s revenue estimates.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

1. Restore the Car Tax and reject higher taxes in a recession;
2. Eliminate Fee Increases embedded in Gov. Kaine's introduced budget;
3. Modify Kaine's "dealer discount" proposal on taxes collected by businesses
4. Mitigate cuts to law enforcement and public safety since these activities are among the primary responsibilities of government;
5. Invest in job-creating economic development;
6. Minimize the impact of cuts on the health safety net;
7. Provide school divisions maximum flexibility in implementing education budget reductions; and
8. Establish a substantial reserve to replenish the Rainy Day Fund and help ensure a more structurally balanced budget going forward.

Chairman Putney summarized the proposal, saying: "our committee budget recommendations will clearly and strategically focus state resources on keeping our promises to fund the core services of government in a structurally more balanced manner so as the economy recovers we can begin to make new investments and enjoy growing levels of opportunities and prosperity."

Chairman Putney's full remarks are available here: 20100221 - News Release - Chairman Putney Remarks on Budget Amendments Released by House Appropriations Committee

“As Virginians struggle in today’s economy, state government must address their needs without burdening them with additional job-killing taxes and burdensome requirements,” said Speaker Howell.  “Since the House of Delegate’s defeated Governor Kaine’s $1 billion per year statewide income tax plan by a unanimous and bipartisan vote of 97-0 at the beginning of this Session, House Republicans have aggressively pursued fiscally responsible legislation to create jobs and opportunities for Virginians, reform government to deliver services more efficiently and transparently and address other challenges.  I’m delighted that our strong Majority Caucus has produced real results with the support of Democrats and Independents which has enabled us to achieve House passage of scores of positive reforms.”

“Offering practical solutions to Virginia’s challenges is a hallmark of House Republican leadership in the General Assembly,” said Chairman Nixon.  “With our citizens and Commonwealth confronting the most difficult economic environment in decades, it is essential to build and expand upon our many accomplishments.  The overwhelming bipartisan support for many items on our agenda underscores the ability of Republicans to govern effectively and respond appropriately to the concerns of Virginians.”

Full Press Release, Including List of Bills

Del. Cox highlighted the House's common sense conservative agenda and previewed the no-tax-increase budget to be released on Sunday.

Listen to the audio at: February 17, 2010 Jimmy Barrett Interview with Kirk Cox.

Three of the five Democrats on the panel voted against the proposal.