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Virginia House of Delegates 48th District!
As redrawn in 2011, Virginia’s 48th Delegate District includes the area in Northern Virginia covering north Arlington, as well as much of McLean from the Arlington border to the Beltway. It also runs along the Potomac from Chain Bridge to National Airport and Crystal City.
I’m proud to have represented the 48th District’s citizens in Richmond since 1998. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read about my background, the legislation I have championed in Richmond, and my stand on issues that matter to Northern Virginia and the Commonwealth.
I encourage you to visit my website often. Please contact me if you have any questions or if there’s an issue involving state government that I can help you resolve.
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In this third week of the General Assembly Session, the issues that will dominate are coming into focus. A lot of my effort in the session will be devoted to analyzing budget proposals with the Arlington and Fairfax staff to ascertain their potential impacts, positive and negative, on our communities. Much of the action will take place on the Appropriations and Transportation Committees, to which I was reappointed on the first day of the session.
One of the most serious issues affecting Northern Virginia this session to date is the proposal in the Governor’s Budget to substantially reduce the “Cost of Competing” factor – differential funding for salaries for support staff in Northern Virginia schools including Arlington and Fairfax County. This differential allows schools in the area to hire and retain quality support staff (librarians, technology staff etc.) in the competitive employment market of Northern Virginia. There is a strong bi-partisan support in the Northern Virginia delegation to turn back this budget reduction. Our schools have to be able to attract and retain the best employees, teachers and support staff, in order to maintain the quality of our K-12 education. I have recorded a short video to give more details on what such a reduction would mean to Northern Virginia schools.
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This Wednesday at noon the House and Senate convened for the General Assembly’s 2012 session. This is our 60-day “Long Session.” Between now and the projected adjournment date of March 10, our main order of business will be to craft a state budget for the next two years.
Governor McDonnell presented his budget proposal last month and touched on its highlights in his State of the Commonwealth Address Wednesday night. Now the House and Senate will analyze and rework the Governor’s proposal and come up with a final product. On the House side, this will be the job of the Appropriations Committee, to which I was reappointed this week.
You can follow the session’s highlights (and occasional “lowlights”) from my perspective in a variety of ways:
– Blog posts here.
– My “Delegate Bob Brink” Facebook page
– @delbrink on Twitter
– A weekly YouTube Report from Richmond (you can see the first one here)
Most important, I want to know what you think about the issues we’re tackling in Richmond. Let me hear from you by email at delegatebrink@gmail.com or by phone at 804-698-1048.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season with your family and friends. As you look back on the past year, I hope that, along with the challenges posed by the current economy and job market, the months were filled with memorable events and pleasurable occasions.
The 2012 session of the Virginia General Assembly will start at noon on Wednesday, January 11 and will run through the beginning of March. As the session progresses, I’m planning to produce a weekly email newsletter, giving the highlights (and occasional “lowlights”) of the week’s events in Richmond. Through this forum, I will keep you informed about legislative matters affecting our region and Virginia. I hope you will sign up to receive the newsletter!
While the Federal government’s presence in the area has spared us the harshest effects of the national economic downturn, the continuing effects of the Great Recession, along with the uncertain future of Federal spending, will dominate the 2012 Session as we tackle the main item on our agenda – writing a budget for the Commonwealth’s next two fiscal years.
Once again, have a great holiday. I look forward to staying in touch!
Yesterday the House Democratic Caucus called for greater openness and effectiveness in the way our state government operates. Among the proposals was a constitutional amendment to let Virginia’s Governor serve more than one consecutive term, as is the case in every other state.
Thanks to all the volunteers who made my re-election on Tuesday possible. And my sincere appreciation to the voters of the 48th District, who once again have asked me to be their voice in the House of Delegates.