Legislators largely expect the debate over transportation funding to consume this year’s session, which starts today, but a cornucopia of other bills awaits lawmakers when the General Assembly starts tackling proposals this week.
Several plans are being floated to put the electric industry back under state regulation. Caps on rates charged to Virginia consumers are scheduled to come off in 2010 and lawmakers do not want constituents subjected to the huge double-digit percentage increases Maryland customers saw last year when rates were unfrozen.
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“We just haven’t had the competition we hoped for,” said Del. Ken Plum, D-Fairfax.
Whether a candidate supports embryonic stem cell research played a large role in the 2006 elections and will be an issue for Old Dominion lawmakers. Two Alexandria delegates have introduced legislation that would allow embryonic research at Virginia colleges and universities and permit state money to fund embryonic work. The commonwealth’s law does not specifically forbid or allow the controversial research, but the legislators want the legislature to give its clear approval. Their effort could be hampered by recent news that researchers have found amniotic cells, which can be obtained without destroying embryos, may be just as useful as embryonic stem cells.
Other bills on tap include measures to ban cell-phone use by young drivers, make divorce more difficult, expand the legal definition of adultery to include homosexual activity, designate the golden apple as the official state fruit, ban open containers of alcohol in cars and trucks, and allow local governments to ban guns in libraries.
Each lawmaker usually introduces a wide array of bills. Del. Adam Ebbin, D-Arlington, for example, said he will be sponsoring legislation ranging from a measure that would require state government buildings to be environmentally friendly to a bill outlawing human trafficking.
And of course there will be transportation measures. Two will come from Sen. Jay O’Brien, R-Clifton, who is sponsoring a constitutional amendment that would bar the state from using money earmarked for transportation for other purposes and a measure that gives county governments road-maintenance duties while moving Metro-funding responsibility to the state.
