Press Release
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BOLLING RELEASES 2008 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Richmond - Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling today released his 2008 Legislative Agenda. The Lieutenant Governor's agenda includes two dozen initiatives that he will promote during the 2008 General Assembly session, which started on January 9th. Many of these initiatives arose out of the Lieutenant Governor's 100 Ideas For The Future Of Virginia initiative, which he started in April of 2007.
"I am pleased to release my Legislative Agenda for 2008," Lieutenant Governor Bolling said. "This agenda continues my effort to focus attention on the issues that matter most to Virginia's families, and recommend solutions to the challenges we face that are consistent with our conservative principles, philosophies and values."
Noting that state finances are tight due to declining economic growth, Lieutenant Governor Bolling also stressed that his legislative recommendations are consistent with the Commonwealth's current economic condition. "I understand that the state's finances are tight, and I have therefore recommended legislation that has a limited fiscal impact or actually reduces state spending."
"If the General Assembly approves my recommendations, we will take significant steps forward in improving public education, combating the problem of illegal immigration, enacting long overdue mental health reforms, improving campus safety, reforming government and providing needed tax relief to the people of Virginia," Lieutenant Governor Bolling said.
"I would also like to personally thank Delegates Albo, Bell, Byron, Cline, Cole, Frederick, Hamilton, Hargrove, Hugo, Kilgore, Nutter, O'Bannon, Peace, Purkey, Putney and Rust; as well as Senators Cuccinelli, Obenshain and Watkins for sponsoring the bills in our Legislative Agenda and working with us on this legislation," Lieutenant Governor Bolling said. "I look forward to working with them as these bills work their way through the legislative process."
Highlights of the Lieutenant Governor's Legislative Agenda include the following:
* Redirecting $400M in existing public education dollars from the central office to the classroom by implementing the "65% Solution" in Virginia.
* Repealing the abusive driver fees enacted by the General Assembly in 2007.
* Several initiatives to address the growing problem of illegal immigration in Virginia.
* A number of bills that would provide taxpayers with relief from rapidly increasing real estate taxes.
* A number of important government reform initiatives, including gubernatorial succession and developing a detailed e-budget website.
* Giving concealed carry permit holders exemptions that would protect their personal information from public disclosure.
* Implementing several mental health reforms and campus safety initiatives that arose from the recommendations of the Virginia Tech Review Panel.
* Restoring $275,000 in abstinence only education funding that was previously eliminating by Governor Tim Kaine.
Finally, Lieutenant Governor Bolling has expressed "grave concerns" over Governor Tim Kaine's budget recommendations for the 2008/2010 biennium. The Lieutenant Governor has called Governor Kaine's budget recommendations a "formula for disaster."
The Lieutenant Governor has encouraged legislators to reject the Governor's recommendation to balance the current state budget by taking money out of the Commonwealth's savings account, or rainy day fund, as well as his recommendation to transfer $180M from transportation construction to other government programs.
In addition, the Lieutenant Governor has expressed concern over the fact that Governor Kaine has proposed hundreds of millions of dollars in new state spending, and proposed paying for these new spending initiatives by overly optimistic revenue projections and the issuance of $3.2B in new state debt.
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For additional information contact Randy Marcus at 804-814-7117 (cell) or randy.marcus@ltgov.virginia.gov.
