General Assembly Roundup: Keam, LeMunyon

RICHMOND — The 2011 General Assembly session has ended, but a special session to deal with redistricting will be meeting this spring. Before the new session begins, let's see how our representatives fared.

Let's take a look back at the wins and losses of those legislators who represent Oakton.

Del. Mark Keam

It was only a year ago Del. Mark Keam (D-35th District) became the first Korean-American and first Asian-born immigrant to be sworn into the Virginia General Assembly. During this year’s session, 33 percent of his bills passed both houses.

He successfully passed these bills and budget amendments. 

• Computer and digital forensic services: exempts computer and digital forensics experts from having to hold unrelated private investigator licenses in order to prepare and present expert testimony in litigation. 
• Local professional license violations: makes a statue of limitations for local licensure violations by providing that prosecution of misdemeanors of professional licensure requirements imposed by a locality must commence within a year of the discovery of the offense by the complainant, but not later than five years after the offense happened.
• Commitment on parole supervision: implements a recommendation from the Virginia Prisoner and Juvenile Offender Re-entry Council, giving local jurisdictions more time to successfully re-integrate ex-juvenile offenders into their community. The bill was incorporated into legislation introduced by Del. Chris Peace (R-97th District).
• State boards: requires volunteer citizens who serve on state boards or commissions to receive travel reimbursements through the Electronic Data Interchange Program.
• Real estate tax: implementing the Constitutional Amendment letting local governments provide real property tax relief for eligible and qualified elderly or totally and permanently disabled homeowners. 
• Emergency medical services personnel: requires the Commissioner of Health to consider military training when determining the requirements for certification as an Emergency Medical Technician in Virginia.
• Budget Amendment Item 3-5.08 #1h exempts most small businesses from having to prepay their June sales tax receipts one month early.  The amendment would raise the qualification amount under the payment program from $1 million to $12 million in sales. There would be a tax relief to about 80 percent of small businesses in Virginia.
• Budget Amendment Item 132 #3h increases the cap on state aid to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology by providing 50 more student slots per year. The conference report of the budget includes $66,000 for this provision.

These are some of the other bills and resolutions Keam proposed that did not make it through both houses.

• Local building officials: gives local building officials authority to issue summonses for violations of statues.
• Liability insurance: bans insurers from denying coverage under a claims-made liability insurance policy.
• Spousal support: gives courts authority to order a party to keep its existing life insurance, when dealing with spousal support or separate maintenance.
• Hunting: allows people to hunt any wild bird or wild animal on Sundays. (Also another bill that would allow people to hunt with a bow and arrow or crossbow on Sundays.
• Commissioners of the revenue: authorizing revenue commissioners to examine books and records for sales tax purposes.
• Judicial review: allows, for the purpose of judicial review, any parent, custodian, or legal guardian of a school-age child, be eligible to attend a school directly affected by an action of the local school board shall presumptively be considered to be aggrieved by such action.
• Veterans: requests the Department of Veterans Services to study certification and licensing opportunities.

Despite his successes, Keam said in a statement he is unsure of whether he will continue to serve in the House of Delegates. He claims redistricting is one of the factors that will affect his decision. After discussing his options with his family and supporters, he will announce his re-election plans in April.

Del. Jim LeMunyon (R-67th District) had 29 percent of his bills pass both houses.

One of LeMunyon’s main issues was transportation in Northern Virginia. He sponsored five bills on that topic. One would've allowed the Fairfax County and Loudoun Boards of Supervisors on Dulles Toll Road and Dulles Greenway in advance.

House bills 1998 and 1999 dealt with the Northern Virginia Transportation District. HB 1998 established responsibilities for entities dealing with long-range transportation planning. HB 1999 revised criteria for allocating revenues to highway projects within the district.

HB 2000 asked the Secretary of Transportation’s designee or voting member be included as a principal when Virginia members of the board of directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority members are appointed.

Finally, HB 2001 required the Virginia Department of Transportation to expedite the development of quiet pavement technology. It was the only one of LeMunyon’s transportation bills to pass both houses.

LeMunyon also addressed schools and universities.

HB 2002 asked boards of visitors to set out-of-state tuition charges based on competitive market rates. This bill was left in the House Committee on Education.

House bills 2008 and 2009 dealt with public schools. HB 2008 asked school divisions to set the school calendar so that the first day is no earlier than the fourth Monday in August. HB 2009 said any pupil residing in a school division may attend the school of his or her choice. Neither of these passed both houses.

Despite LeMunyon’s lack of success with his bills, he is proud of his resolutions. In a recent statement, he said he was excited about the passing of a resolution that required the house clerk’s office to the legislative information system.

“This was a top campaign promise of mine,” LeMunyon said. “I am happy to report that this measure passed the House and will take effect in 2012.”

These are other bills and resolutions LeMunyon introduced this year.

• Department of General Services: changes the fund to receive the 50 percent portion of the proceeds from the sale, lease, or conveyance of surplus property owned by the Commonwealth from the Conservation Resources Fund to the State Park Acquisition and Development Fund
• Bonds: provides that public notice issued before public hearings dealing with bonds shall state the proposed use of the proceeds.
• Firearms shows: requires the Virginia Department of State Police to make materials concerning firearm laws available on its website, and firearm show promoters to immediately show those materials at the entrance of their shows.
• Small businesses: clarifies the process review of existing regulations on small businesses.
• Intergovernmental cooperation: removes the participation in the Council on State Governments from the powers and duties of the Virginia Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation.