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General Assembly at a Glance

Gergana Bobeva and Rebecca Landau
Capital News Service

Legislators reconvened this past week in the original Thomas Jefferson-designed Capitol, which has been closed for a $104.5 million renovation since the end of the 2005 session. The building was opened for lawmakers but closed for the general public and lobbyists. The past two assembly sessions were housed in the nearby Patrick Henry Building. The official reopening of the renovated capitol is scheduled for May 1.

The transportation package passed the General Assembly and gained Gov. Tim Kaine’s approval during the veto session in the Capitol. The final bill calls for current and additional funds to be used for transportation projects statewide. The legislation also grants the localities of Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads power to levy higher transportation fees and authorizes the Commonwealth Transportation Board to borrow up to $2.5 billion for transportation funding across the commonwealth. The loan will be paid off with annual revenues from the state recordation tax.

In this year’s General Assembly veto session legislators agreed to create the Virginia Commission on Immigration to assist the executive branch by studying immigration issues. The commission will study the impact of immigration on education, health care, services demand, economic dynamics and law enforcement. The commission expires Aug. 1, 2009.

Legislators failed to override Gov. Tim Kaine’s veto on one of three bills to expand the death penalty.

Delegate C. Todd Gilbert, R-Woodstock, introduced a bill in the 2006 session to overturn the triggerman rule, which limits capital murder sentences to the actual murderer and not an accomplice who ordered or directed the crime. It was approved by the Virginia Crime Commission and passed both houses in 2007. Kaine vetoed several bills to add new crimes that qualify for capital punishment.

However, both houses overturned Kaine’s vetoes on bills to expand the death penalty to include killers of judges or witnesses. During his campaign for governor, Kaine said he opposed capital punishment on the basis of his Roman Catholic faith.

Smoking in restaurants will be permitted at least another year as a proposed commonwealth-wide ban failed in the General Assembly. Supporters of the proposal said the ban, which was an amendment to a bill requiring restaurants post smoking signs, might be re-introduced next session.

Gov. Tim Kaine said he proposed the ban to protect employees from secondhand smoke. Critics of the proposal said the amendment’s wording was vague and legislation would prohibit smoking in too many public places, such as sidewalks where food is served.

Following the General Assembly’s public apology for slavery, the presentation of the Richmond Reconciliation Statue took place March 30 in Shockoe Bottom. Gov. Tim Kaine, alongside international representatives from the African Republic of Benin and Great Britain, as well as members of Richmond City Council, attended the event.

Despite controversy and long discussions, Kaine told the crowd, the assembly did the right thing in issuing a formal apology.

The General Assembly during its veto session rejected an amendment to postpone the phasing-out of touch-screen voting machines. Gov. Tim Kaine’s amendment aimed to postpone the bill, but lawmakers said the delay would be too expensive. Replacement of the old machines will be begin July 1.

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