Less than three weeks before the start of the 2012 General Assembly Session, House Democrats have revealed what they believe will be one of the most pressing issues:  the implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, one goal is for the Commonwealth to transition from an exchange run by the federal government to a state exchange that allows many residents to shop for their own insurance policies.

Legislation to allow government advisory panels to expand the use of electronic meetings for official business is on its way to the General Assembly.

The Freedom of Information Advisory Council has recommended a revision to Virginia’s open-government laws that could potentially allow greater participation statewide and enhance efficiency.  The distant meetings could only be held in plain view of the public, who would also be invited to attend.

While remote members of government bodies often take part by phone, the panel can’t act without a physical quorum in one place.  The proposal allows STATE subcommittee or advisory panel members who are distant to help make a quorum and vote.  Supporters say the panels would be more efficient, benefit from talented people who can’t travel, and provide local public events.  But Craig Merritt said the Virginia Press Association prefers only a pilot program.

“Is the quality of interaction between the public and a public body the same—if there is no quorum or core group that is physically assembled for the public to see how people interact with each other, what their body language is, what their response is?”

Council Chair and Senator Richard Stuart countered that the change would not apply to full committees.

“A lot of these meetings will give you the ability to get up and speak and interact with the entire committee.  We’re just talking about subcommittees that, in essence, would make a recommendation for us to then have a full debate on the issue.”

To allay VPA concerns, the bill would require audio-visual communication and expire in a year unless renewed.

-by Anne Marie Morgan

Governor McDonnell has announced his proposed adjustments to the two-year state budget … and has revised his revenue forecast downward for a more cautious spending approach as the federal fiscal cliff impasse continues.   The Governor made some modest cuts and spending increases, and said he especially wants to focus on education and transportation during the upcoming General Assembly session.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, not everyone agrees with those plans.

While Governor McDonnell was making an announcement about the first phase of an education reform package, a Task Force for Local Government Mandate Review was finalizing recommendations that could be part of the Governor’s next phase of reforms.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more from the State Capitol.

As part of a series of efforts to empower educators and reform schools in Virginia, Governor McDonnell is proposing that teachers and support staff receive a two percent pay increase—for the first time in five years. The Governor also would like to revise state policies to help recruit, retain, and reward excellent teachers.

The pay raises would become effective July 1 of next year—contingent on General Assembly approval of changes in the teacher contract and evaluation process.  McDonnell also proposed strategic compensation grants for teachers, incentives for teachers in STEM-H subjects, and a potential revision in medical benefits.

“I’ve directed the Department of Human Resource Management to also evaluate the efficacy and the actuarial soundness of putting teachers into the state health plan,” said Governor McDonnell.

The Governor also introduced what he calls the “Educator Fairness Act,” which extends teacher probation from three to five years.  It would define “incompetence” to include one or more unsatisfactory performance evaluations, and define the relationship between the evaluation and the contract.  It also streamlines educator grievance procedures.  In addition, the initiative includes creation of a Virginia Teacher Cabinet comprised of teachers who would provide input to the Governor, Secretary of Education, and State Board of Education.

–Tommie McNeil

Virginia has been installing dry fire hydrants throughout the Commonwealth since 1988, but these devices which are vital to fire fighting efforts outside of urban areas, are still rather scarce, primarily because of limited state funds. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports because state agencies and those who represent them are limited in how they appeal to the public for money, it may be up to residents of private developments in rural communities to secure additional funding for them.

The General Assembly’s watchdog agency has been analyzing the costs and benefits of providing state incentives that could help local governments collaborate.  The regional partners could share staff, tackle construction projects, or jointly deliver services-and perhaps even alleviate some fiscal stress. Regional cooperation in several existing programs points the way to how it could work in others.

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission found that regional jails exemplify successful collaboration.  The state reimburses half of a locality’s costs to operate a regional jail.  That’s twice the reimbursement for a local jail-and costs localities about $23 less per inmate each day.  Project Leader Tracey Smith said of 13 potential collaborative opportunities, six can benefit localities and produce state savings or advance state policy goals.  She said one example is special ed-in cases where schools have needed private providers.

“Services in privately-run programs for students on the autism spectrum cost about $13,000 per year more than regional programs.  We also looked at data on service costs for students with disorders falling under the emotional disturbance disability category.  These services are about $6500 per year more expensive when provided by a private program versus a regional program, said Smith.

Other opportunities are career education, foster care, public safety communications, and pretrial services.  The report recommended prioritizing state incentives for those programs.

–Anne Marie Morgan

For many years, Northern Virginia school divisions have received extra funds from the state to supplement the salaries of their teachers and other school personnel.  This “Cost of Competing Adjustment” was a source of contention during the last budget negotiations—in light of the state’s cautious fiscal policies since the nation’s economic downturn.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission is now examining whether that adjustment formula may be outdated.

A rite of passage for young adults is securing and maintaining their first job.  It helps develop drive, independence, social skills, and a work ethic.  But what happens when a young person continually has the door slammed in his face, even years after submitting his first application?  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, it’s happening more often right now in the Commonwealth and nationwide.

The annual “AP Day at the Capitol” allows many of the stakeholders at the center of the most hotly debated state government topics to discuss very candidly where and why they stand on some issues—and do so before a large group of reporters.   The subject of uranium mining kicked off  events.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the panel included an environmentalist, a delegate who represents the proposed mining area, a uranium mining spokesman, and the National Academy of Sciences Chair.

Virginia Democrat Jim Moran is pushing a new proposal to modernize U-S elections, but the effort faces steep hurdles.   Here’s more from Matt Laslo.

When state lawmakers convene for the upcoming General Assembly session, the issue of cracking down on texting while driving will be on the table. This after the Virginia Crime Commission  recommended new language in state law that toughens the penalty for doing so.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the practical matter of how to define and classify “texting while driving” will also be deliberated.

Members of Virginia’s Unemployment Compensation Commission are weighing whether to endorse creation of a “shared work” program that could potentially benefit both businesses and employees during an economic slowdown.   As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the program would allow companies to reduce the work hours of their employees in lieu of layoffs, while allowing the affected employees to receive partial compensation for lost wages.

Federal mandates to emphasize student growth when teachers are evaluated will not be met through Virginia’s current Standards of Learning testing program.  That’s the verdict of a Salem City Schools superintendent who has implemented a new professional evaluation system known as “strategic compensation.”  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the Commission on Youth found that the system’s goals are to improve both instruction and student learning.

Before this year’s presidential election, pundits knew that the political dynamic in Virginia had changed.  But it wasn’t until the recent chain of events in the gubernatorial campaign that it became evident that the statewide races in the Commonwealth could be more contentious than usual.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, they also have the potential to shake up partisan bases in the coming months.

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling says his decision to step aside and allow Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to be the lone Republican officeholder running for Governor is not the decision he wanted to make—but one that was needed.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports that as Bolling spoke to members of the media, he left a few unanswered questions about his political future.

In a few months, the General Assembly will once again consider the question of lifting a statewide uranium mining ban, this time with the help of a multi-agency panel which has been delving into the issues that must be addressed if mining is allowed.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the speakers at the final public meeting of the Governor’s Work Group on Uranium Mining didn’t seem to change many minds.

A state Senator’s initiative to raise more revenue for transportation has picked up support from the Mayors and Chairs of Virginia’s Urban Crescent and many other local leaders.  The bill was also prompted by proposed new highway tolls and concerns that the Commonwealth may lose its economic competiveness if transportation funding deficits are not solved.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, it’s a complex, multi-pronged approach that would raise more than 730 million dollars per year.

The buzz on Capitol Square is growing louder with discussions about whether the upcoming General Assembly session might be the one where significant new transportation funding legislation is approved.   One of the key participants in the discussion is Governor McDonnell, who has revealed that he’s working on his own transportation proposal.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, many state officials are now saying time is running out to find a solution.

The Thanksgiving tradition of the Pamunkey and Mattaponi tribes paying tribute to Virginia’s governor is now in its 335th year.  Although it is the oldest government-to-government public ceremony in this nation’s history, some things are noticeably different, and some wonder whether or not this tradition will last for many more generations.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports from the State Capitol.

A legislative panel has been examining issues of concern to smaller companies in Virginia—with a goal of recommending policies that will help them expand and promote hiring.

One focus of the Small Business Commission has been on the small-, women-, and minority-owned firms that are awarded contracts to work for the state.  While the number of SWAM companies has grown, most are quite small—and the program may still need some fine-tuning.

Thanks to ambitious outreach efforts, nearly 21,000 small-, women-, and minority-owned businesses are now state-certified.  Department of Minority Business Enterprise Director Ida McPherson told the Commission that the number of companies owned by women and minorities that conduct business with the state has significantly increased.  However, companies defined as “small” businesses with up to 250 employees still win many contracts—although firms with 16 or fewer employees actually create more jobs.

“So when you’re trying to create new jobs, you’ve got to get the money where those businesses are—because if they take on a new project of a $100,000, they immediately go out and hire someone.  If you take a firm that is at 250 employees and they’re making $50 billion, if they bid on something—a $250,000 project—they don’t need to hire anybody else.  They just squeeze it within what they currently have.”

McPherson said one option may be to target more contracts toward the subset of companies with fewer employees.

-by Anne Marie Morgan

Virginia officials are proceeding with caution as they prepare to adjust the state budget for the upcoming General Assembly session.  That’s after the Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates convened to discuss the condition of the Commonwealth’s economy for the near future.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the uncertainty about tax and spending issues in Washington is causing some pessimism about the state budget. 

A discussion about controlling the costs of healthcare can’t be concluded without considering the needs of the state’s prison population, especially geriatric inmates.  State lawmakers are examining how to balance those costs—because while the Department of Corrections budget has been reduced, medical costs continue to rise disproportionately.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more from the State Capitol.