4
january 23, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
news
Virginia General Assembly Voting gets to Access: Education: work in 2013 session MALLORY NOE-PAYNE news editor
Virginia’s bi-cameral legislature is currently working during its first session of the year in Richmond. The Republican controlled House of Delegates and the tied Senate are considering a variety of legislation on different topics, many pushed by Republican Governor Bob McDonnell.
The state senate Governor McDonnell approved a bill that has made education a would allow Virginians priority for this year’s older than 65 to vote legislative sessions. by absentee ballot Bills currently under without providing consideration would an excuse, ensuring make it easier to fire greater access to votteachers that coning for the elderly. sistently do poorly in However, another bill evaluations as well as that was backed by lengthen a teacher’s the Governor that probation period. would have restored Other legislation that voting rights to nonhas been approved violent felons, failed by a House committee in committee in the would bring Teach for House and passed America to the state. panel in the Senate.
editors: priscilla alvarez, mallory noe-payne, dean seal newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
Transportation:
Guns:
Uranium:
Governor McDonnell’s other big priority is a plan meant to fix transportation funding in the state. The plan depends on some major shifts in taxation. The proposal would eliminate the gas tax, making Virginia the first state to do so, and replace it with an increase in sales tax that would be funneled specifically to transportation funding.
Most attempts to further restrict gun ownership in the state were immediately scrapped by the Republican controlled legislature, including legislation that would have banned assaultstyle weapons and increased requirements for background checks. Republican delegate Bob Marshall has been vocal about proposing legislation that would require public schools to have one staff member trained in the use of firearms in order to carry a concealed weapon on school property.
One of the biggest hot-button discussions in the state is the issue of whether to lift the 30-year ban on uranium mining for energy use. If passed, the bill would allow the mining of uranium known to exist in Chatham, a town in southwest Virginia. Supporters of the bill say mining would bring economic benefits to the region. The ban was initially put in place because of health concerns associated with water contamination.
MICHAELA REARDON/ COLLEGIATE TIMES
Redistricting creates conflict MALLORY NOE-PAYNE news editor
The Virginia Senate narrowly passed a measure Monday night that draws new lines for the state’s legislative districts, dramatically altering districts in the Roanoke and New River Valley areas. Montgomery County would shift from the 21st District to the 20th. The 21st District is currently represented by Sen. John Edwards, a Democrat. The 20th is represented by Sen. Bill Stanley, a Republican. Edwards’ changed district lines would cost him a significant portion of democratic voters. Edwards’ new district would add Pulaski, Craig, Bland and Wythe counties. Additionally, the new districts merge two districts, both of which have been held by incumbent senators Creigh Deeds, a democrat, and Emmett Hanger, a republican. The sudden passage of the legislation in the Senate, which is tied 20-20, came as a surprise to many, including republican Governor Bob McDonnell. “The governor was very surprised to learn that a redistricting bill would be voted on by the Senate. He has not seen this legislation,” said Tucker Martin, communications director for the governor. According to Martin, if the legislation makes it to the governor’s desk McDonnell will “review it in great detail.” In order to make it to the governor, the legislation still has to pass the republican-controlled House of Delegates. The vote on the redistricting bill was taken Monday when democratic Sen. Henry Marsh was in Washington, D.C., for the inauguration ceremony, missing the vote. Marsh, a representative from Richmond, is a civil rights
MCT CAMPUS
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, republican, was unaware of the Senate Republican plan to pass redistricting legislation Monday. lawyer and was the first black mayor of Richmond. The changes affect his district. The vote fell along party lines, passing 20-19. Had Marsh been present and the vote been tied, Republican Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling would be responsible for breaking the tie. However, according to Bolling’s spokeswoman Ibbie Hedrick, the lieutenant governor does not support the actions of Republican legislators, nor the redistricting plan. “(Bolling) fears that this action could set a dangerous precedent for future redistricting actions, and he is concerned that it could create a hyper-partisan atmosphere that could make it very difficult for us to address other important priorities,” Hedrick said. Transportation and education have been priorities of the executive branch this legislative session, and it is possible this move could create difficulty in achieving compromise for the governor’s strongly-backed proposals. The actions were condemned by Virginia’s democratic senators Mark Warner
and Tim Kaine. In a joint statement, the senators claimed Virginia’s Senate republicans “took advantage of the absence of (Marsh) to push through a hyper-partisan change to Virginia’s... legislative district map.” “This is not the way we should be conducting the people’s business in Virginia,” said the statement, “We urge legislative leaders and other elected officials to do the right thing, to correct this disappointing and disruptive partisan action.” If the bill is ultimately passed, the new lines will go into effect for the 2015 state elections. Redistricting happens in Virginia every 10 years after the census, with minor changes allowed in between. The last time the lines were drastically redrawn was just last year. Democrats are calling the plan an unconstitutional change, and it is possible, if the bill passes, that litigation could follow.
Follow the writer on Twitter: @MalloryNoePayne