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This past week was a busy one; we are approaching cross-over – the final day for all legislation to be voted upon by its House of origin – and this means much longer days. Monday we begin early, and we will likely be in session well into the evening. The Senate will debate and vote on the remainder of their bills and communicate them to the House of Delegates before Wednesday, and the House must do the same.
It was a big week for area high school and college students at the Capitol. We had with us on Monday a delegation from Virginia Tech, which included Drew Marrs, a Virginia Tech student from Bluefield. Six students representing Bluefield College were here on Wednesday. These students came encouraging support for the TAG Program. Virginia TAG (Tuition Assistance Grant) is a program that was established in 1972 and assists Virginia residents who attend private colleges or universities in the Commonwealth. We were glad to have Dr. Charles White, Dr. Rhonda Catron, and David Hauslohner of Wytheville Community College with us on Wednesday, along with nine students. This is the second trip to Richmond that WCC has made during this session of the General Assembly. It is great to see them getting the students interested and involved in the legislative process. Wytheville is a fine representative of Virginia’s fantastic Community College System. We were proud to have the Pulaski Teenage Republicans with us on Friday. This group of high school students came to visit the legislators from their area and to watch the Session. Both Wythe and Pulaski Counties had a large representation in the Capitol this week. The Wythe County Board of Supervisors paid us a visit on Wednesday, and supervisors from Pulaski County were here on Thursday. Mayor Charles Wade of Pulaski was here with members of the town administration of Thursday. On Thursday and Friday, we welcomed County School Boards and Superintendents, including Dr. Brenda Lawson from Tazewell, Dr. Don Hodock from Bland, Dr. Don Stowers from Pulaski, and Dr. Albert Armentrout from Wythe County. As always, it was great to see everyone who came to Richmond. In the Chamber, three of my bills were passed and communicated to the Senate this week. HB 563, legislation requested by the New River Training Academy will add an Academy representative to the State Criminal Justice Services Board. HB 1449, another bill I patroned, co-patroned by Delegates Nutter and Shuler, speaks to the safety concerns of our public colleges and universities. This bill mandates that the Board of Visitors or other governing bodies of these schools of higher education establish Violence Prevention Committees and Threat Assessment Team, whose duties will include educating the campus community on identifying threatening behavior and assessing and intervening with these individuals. HB 1449 also mandates that these schools put in place First Warning and Emergency Notification Systems. Schools will use these systems in the case of an emergency, such as the April 16 tragedy at Virginia Tech, and will use all modes of communication and telecommunication available to alert everyone in the campus community. This communication will be extended through formal relationships with local law enforcement and mental health professionals. The House also passed HJR 357, a resolution I entered which commends Joey Goodrich of Pearisburg. Joey competed in the 2007 Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, China, and represented his country, Commonwealth, and hometown of Pearisburg with great success. He won silver medals in three events: the 100-meter dash, the shot-put, and the 4x100-meter relay. Joey is also a talented artist and has won multiple community art contests. Everyone here at the Capitol is very proud of Joey! The House is working towards a compromise in the Payday Lending legislation. HB 12 was amended to introduce new regulations and fees on Payday Loans. The compromise includes the following:
· 36% annual interest cap on borrowed funds
· Loan Fee of 10%
· Verification Fee of up to $5.00 per loan
· Minimum loan term of at least two times the borrower’s pay cycle
· A database maintained by a third party that is contracted by and under the oversight of the SCC. All licensees will subscribe to the database and ensure the following:
1. No borrower may have more than one outstanding payday loan at one time, regardless of the lender
2. 24-hour “cooling-off” period between loans
3. Five (5) payday loans permitted per year.
The reform, developed by a House bi-partisan committee, hopes to satisfy both sides of the Payday debate. During my campaign, I promised to vote reform and Yes to the 36% cap; I will keep that promise.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us here at the General Assembly Building. Delegate Anne B. Crockett-Stark, Sixth District
General Assembly Building – Room 819
P.O. Box 406
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 698-1006
Fax: (804) 698-6706
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