Arlington County Civic Federation
The Civic Voice of Arlington
2002 Legislative Priorities
As Adopted November 13, 2001
The following five items are the priority issues selected by the Civic Federation Delegates from the 2001 Legislative Package.
- Gun Control. Strongly supports requiring mandatory instant background checks on purchasers of all firearms at all gun shows and allowing up to seventy-two hours to complete the check if the instant check is inconclusive.
- A. 21-Day Rule. Urges extension of the period for consideration of potentially exculpatory evidence in capital cases from 21 days to 3 years.
- Interstate 66. Opposes changes to I 66 inside the capital beltway unless such changes are part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan and are made with community consensus.
- Baseball Stadium Authority. Urges repeal of the Virginia Stadium Authority, Virginia Code section 15.1.227-71 and opposes use of public funds for professional sports facilities in Virginia. Supports return of professional baseball to the Nation's Capital.
- Retention of Local Zoning Authority. Supports legislation to prohibit Commonwealth agencies from overriding local jurisdictional use plans and zoning decisions and ordinances.
Civic Federation Principles
Because Arlington's population is changing rapidly, the Civic Federation adopts the following principles in order to maintain our quality of life, enhance the desirability of our community as a place to live and work, and meet future human and infrastructure needs:
- We oppose any efforts to change formulas for state funding that would result in decreases in funding for Arlington County government and public schools
- We urge the General Assembly to revise the state transportation funding formula to increase funding for growth areas such as Northern Virginia
- We strongly support increased funding for schools, mass transit, and highways
Legislative Recommendations
1. Administration of Government, Generally
A. Requirement of State-Owned Industrial Facilities to Develop Environmental Management Plans. Supports legislation to develop and implement pollution-prevention plans and to establish a state office to coordinate and provide technical assistance.
B. Initiative and Referendum. Requests the Governor of Virginia to appoint a bipartisan study commission to examine and weigh the potential assets and liabilities of Initiative and Referendum in Virginia.
2. Arlington County
Rename N. Herndon Street. Urges the Arlington County Board to rename N. Herndon Street to N. Hunter Street in honor of former County Board member James B. Hunter.
3. Authorities
Baseball Stadium Authority. Urges repeal of the Virginia Stadium Authority, Virginia Code section 15.1.227-71 and opposes use of public funds for professional sports facilities in Virginia. Supports return of professional baseball to the Nation's Capital.
4. Aviation
National Airport. Deplores changes at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that extended the perimeter for departing flights and increased the number of slots available. We strongly support the designation of Reagan National as a short-range airport and a return to the 1250-mile perimeter rule.
5. Conservation (environment)
Importation of Trash. Strongly urges the Governor, our congressional delegation, and the General Assembly to continue to pursue all available avenues to prevent additional importation of trash into Virginia.
6. Crimes and Offenses Generally
A. Sodomy Laws. Supports repeal of the sodomy law as it applies to consenting adults.
B. Sexual Orientation. Supports the addition of sexual orientation to the coverage of antidiscrimination and Hate Crimes laws.
C. Aggressive Panhandling. Requests the legislature to authorize the Arlington County Board to adopt an ordinance to make it unlawful for any person to panhandle in an aggressive manner, to panhandle within fifteen feet of an automatic teller machine, or to panhandle from any operator of a motor vehicle while standing in a roadway median or on a travel lane.
D. Handicapped Parking. Supports legislation to raise the reduced mail-in fine for parking in a handicapped space from approximately $100.00 to $300.00 (the current fine is $500 should you go to court).
E. Volunteer Enforcement of Handicapped Parking. Urges the Arlington County Board initiate training and deployment of volunteers to enforce handicapped
parking violations in accordance with Section 46.2-1244 of the Code of Virginia.
F. Red Light Cameras. Supports requiring the owner of a vehicle captured on film running a red light to be responsible for payment of the fine whether the owner or another person was driving. A defense for this crime could be providing proof that the vehicle was stolen.
7. Criminal Procedure
A. 21-Day Rule. Urges extension of the period for consideration of potentially exculpatory evidence in capital cases from 21 days to 3 years.
B. Death-Penalty Moratorium. Urges legislation that will impose a moratorium on executions until policies are
in place to minimise the risk that innocent persons will be executed and that will ensure that death-penalty cases are administered fairly and impartially.
8. Dangerous Weapons
Gun Control. Strongly supports requiring mandatory instant background checks on purchasers of all firearms at all gun shows and allowing up to seventy-two hours to complete the check if the instant check is inconclusive.
9. Discrimination and Housing
Employment and Housing. Urges prohibition of discrimination in employment and housing on the basis of sexual orientation.
10. Domestic Relations
Same-sex Marriage. Supports repeal of �20.45.5 that states, "A marriage between persons of the same sex is prohibited. Any marriage entered into by persons of the same sex in another state or jurisdiction shall be void in all respects in Virginia and any contractual rights created by such marriage shall be void and unenforceable."
11. Energy Conservation and Resources
Recycling. Urges the General Assembly to increase recycling goals from 25 to 35 percent by the year 2005 and to establish an official definition of recyclable materials.
12. Education
Standards of Learning (SOL). Urges a study by an accredited independent organization to determine if SOLs can be made a more effective measurement of student achievement.
13. Housing
Home Ownership Incentives. Urges Arlington County to develop incentives under 2000 General Assembly SB 87 to encourage law enforcement officers and deputy sheriffs to become homeowners and residents in Neighborhood Strategy Areas in Arlington.
14. Insurance
A. Insurance Rates. Supports a law to prohibit insurance companies from raising rates when the insured motorists in accidents are found to be not "at fault."
15. Property and Conveyances
Retention of Local Zoning Authority. Supports legislation to prohibit Commonwealth agencies from overriding local jurisdictional use plans and zoning decisions and ordinances.
16. Public Health
Ban on Smoking in Restaurants. Urges legislation extending to Arlington County the authority to ban smoking on the premises of any restaurant or other establishment in which prepared food is served for consumption on the premises. Furthermore, when such enabling legislation has been enacted, the Civic Federation urges immediate imposition of the aforementioned restriction by Arlington County.
17. State Corporation Commission
State Corporation Commission. Supports increasing the SCC's membership from three to five and encourages General Assembly members to ensure that confirmation of candidates includes full disclosure review of their qualifications and records with regard to consumer issues.
18. Taxation
A. Consumer Use Tax. Supports repeal of the Consumer Use Tax.
B. Economic (Fair-Market) Rent. Recommends establishment of statewide, economic (fair-market) rent, not contract rent, as the basis for assessments of commercial property.
C. Cigarette Tax. Supports authorizing Arlington County to increase the cigarette tax in a manner similar to that of cities.
D. Local Income Tax. Opposes legislation that would allow a local income tax.
19. Transportation and Highway Safety
A. Truck Safety. Supports measures to increase the number of officers and to strengthen penalties for violators in order to improve safety of truck operations on
Virginia highways. Demands stronger enforcement of speed limits, and urges tougher requirements for commercial drivers' licenses.
B. Interstate 66. Opposes changes to I 66 inside the capital beltway unless such changes are part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan and are made with community consensus.
C. Radar-triggered Cameras. Supports enabling legislation to allow Arlington County to institute a pilot program to enforce speed limits on state and county-managed roadways through fixed radar-triggered cameras.
D. Funding Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Projects. Urges the State Legislature to direct the Secretary of Transportation to revise facility construction guidelines of the Commonwealth Transportation Board and safety funding guidelines of the Virginia Department of Transportation to ensure appropriate consideration of pedestrian and bicycle safety projects.
20. United States Government
Professional Sports Facilities. Supports an end to Federal tax subsidy for professional sports facilities.
21. Water and Sewer Systems
A. Water Quality Measurements. Urges DEQ to develop and standardize methods for the measurement of contaminants in storm waters and waters that feed the Chesapeake Bay.
B. Nutrient Reduction. Encourages the Commonwealth to consider methods in addition to point source control to achieve identified nutrient reduction goals.
C. Integrity of Public Water System. Supports a JLARC review of the integrity of the state's public drinking water supply system to identify problems and determine appropriate penalties for lack of compliance.
This page was last revised on: December 27, 2003.
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Arlington County Civic Federation
