General Assembly 2012: Area Lawmakers Head to Richmond for 60-Day Legislative Session

Northern Virginia lawmakers will make their case for hiking gas taxes, banning smoking in parks, cutting the clutter of campaign signs and dozens of other proposals beginning at 12 Noon Wednesday, the official start of the 2012 legislative session of the General Assembly in Richmond.

The three proposals are just a sampling of what lawmakers will consider during the 60-day session in the state capital. 

Lawmakers' first order of business may be to determine who is in charge in the Senate. Evenly divided by party, it's uncertain whether Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling can step in and serve as a tie-breaker on some votes. At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Gov. Bob McDonnell will deliver his State of the Commonwealth address.

A budget shortfall estimated at $1 billion also doesn't help matters and will likely leave lawmakers fighting for a piece of the budget pie. (Virginia is one of 29 states with a projected shortfall, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.)

(D-44th District) said this week he will propose a hike in the state's 17.5-cents a gallon gas tax, that might take care of some shortfall. "Cars are getting more efficient, and we're not collecting as much gas taxes anymore. We need to look at those kinds of options,"  he told WTOP this week. Surovell admits it likely will not pass. "The governor has flat out said he's not going to support any kind of tax increase at all," he told the station.

A proposal that is likely to pass? Reining in the clutter of campaign signs that litter roadways in Fairfax County as elections near. "One of the biggest complaints I get each election season (and one of the aspects of campaigning I personally dislike as well) is the erection of hundreds of signs in our roads’ medians publicizing a candidate up for election," said Del. Dave Albo (R-42nd District), on his blog. (Albo has proposed 11 new laws, which can be found here.)

"We have strong hopes for this bill passing, and by next election, we hope to not have to deal with the cluttered medians that became so messy throughout this past election season," he said.

Albo, a Republican, is among several lawmakers, including Del. David Englin (D-45th District) who are surveying their constituents to find out what's on their minds as a way to gauge support at home on various issues. Included on Albo's list:

• Should children of illegal immigrants be eligible for in-state tuition?
• Is it OK for a police officer to arrest someone during a traffic stop, if that person is in the country illegally, so they can be deported by federal authorities?

On the other end of the spectrum, a survey by Englin, co-founder of the Progressive Caucus, asks constituents to check off topics important to them, including:

• Animal Rights
• Reproductive Rights 
• GLBT issues 

Englin has proposed six new laws, which can be found here. Among them: Estabishing renewable energy goals for utilities, giving localities the option to ban smoking in public parks, uncapping the $2,000 retail and use tax on watercraft and allowing private funding/creating a grant program for preschools.

In Richmond Wednesday, Sen.-elect Adam Ebbin (D-30th District) will be sworn in and become Virginia's first openly gay senator. He received a send-off Sunday, which doubled as a fundraiser, from fellow Democrats before heading to Richmond.

Alexandria City Councilman , one of his primary opponents, threw the party for Ebbin. Others at the get-together included , the senator whose seat he'll take over and Congressman .

Look for possible legislation from Ebbin that would limit use of solitary confinement for Virginia prisoners. Ebbin is among a group of legislators looking at the issue. “I’m very concerned about taking away people’s socialization,’’ Ebbin told the Washington Post. “If they ­haven’t interacted with people for long periods of time, it’s not going to make them behave better.”

Other legislation to watch for, according to the Virginia Division of Legislative Services:

• Prevention of the unauthorized installation of electronic tracking devices on cars.
• A measure that would create a way to better track drugstore purchases of pseudoephedrine, a primary precursor of methamphetamine, and to punish new methods of manufacturing methamphetamine.
• Efforts to provide for no-excuse absentee voting, no-excuse in-person absentee voting, or early voting reforms.

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It's easy to keep up with the latest doings in Richmond by following your representatives on their blogs, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds; the House also has its own Twitter account: http://twitter.com/vahouse, as does the Senate: http://twitter.com/vasenate

Interested in visiting the Capitol during the session? To arrange a visit or tour of the Capitol, contact your local representative. There are public galleries in the House and Senate chambers; generally the House and Senate convene at 12 noon during the 60-day session.