Draft

Forward

Legislation Committee Recommended Priorities

During this meeting, each delegate will have an opportunity to select his or her 5 priority items from the draft package. The votes will be tallied, and the Federation's top 5 priorities will be presented as a separate document to our officials and representatives.

Civic Federation Principles

• 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

• We urge adoption of a statewide recycling goal of 40 percent of recyclable materials by the year 2005

National Airport. Strongly protests the recent expansion of flights into and out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and strongly opposes any weakening of safety and environmental standards at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

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.

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.

B. 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.

C. 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.

The Draft Package

• 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

• We urge adoption of a statewide recycling goal of 40 percent of recyclable materials by the year 2005

1. Administration of Government, Generally

A. Public Employee Ethics. (1) Supports legislation requiring that state ethics brochures be provided to public officials and employees, who must certify in writing that they have read it before they assume their state or local government positions. (2) Urges legislation to replace the existing Virginia Senate and House Ethics Advisory Panels with a comprehensive state/local ethics commission.

B. 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.

C. 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. 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.

3. Aviation

National Airport. Strongly protests the recent expansion of flights into and out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and strongly opposes any weakening of safety and environmental standards at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

4. Conservation (environment)

Importation of Trash. Strongly urges Governor Gilmore, our congressional delegation, and the General Assembly to continue to pursue all available avenues to prevent additional importation of trash into Virginia.

5. (moved to addenda)

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.

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 a valid name and address of the offender or proof that the vehicle was stolen.

7. (moved to addenda)

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. Domestic Relations

Gay Marriage. Supports allowing gays and lesbians to marry in civil ceremonies and requires the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities be afforded married gays and lesbians as are afforded other married persons.

10. Energy Conservation and Resources

Recycling. Urges the General Assembly to increase recyclables to include such items as batteries, tires, styrofoam, metal, solvents, and building and paving materials.

11. Education

Public School Opening. Supports enabling legislation to allow local School Boards to determine their public school calendar. Currently in Virginia, by state law, the school year cannot begin before Labor Day. This denies school boards the flexibility that may be needed when establishing the school calendar.

12. Historic Preservation

Arlington House. Urges Arlington County Board members and state officials to join the Arlington County Civic Federation in seeking additional federal funding for repair work and maintenance at Arlington House, which is rapidly deteriorating.

13. (moved to addenda)

14. Insurance

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. Partnerships

Limited Partners - Access to Information. Supports legislation that would permit citizen access to names and addresses of limited partners and their financial investments or other contributions in limited partnerships, which conduct business with state or local governments of at least $10,000 annually.

16. (moved to addenda)

17. Public Health

AIDS Policy. Specifically requests that the legislature require the following:

1. Premarital testing for HIV and reporting of results to both prospective spouses

2. Testing of all pregnant women and reporting of results to both prospective parents, followed by treatment of infected mothers to prevent transmission to the fetus

3. Testing of newborns and reporting of results to both parents, followed by treatment of infected infants.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. Transportation and Highway Safety

A. Bicycle Safety. Supports requiring the Virginia Department of Transportation to establish sufficient right-of-way for bicycles during planning and construction of state roadways and greater accommodation for bicycles on state roadways.

B. 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.

C. Route 66. Opposes changes to Route 66 inside the capital beltway unless such changes are part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan and are made with community consensus.

21. United States Government

Professional Sports Facilities. Supports an end to Federal tax subsidy for professional sports facilities.

22. Water and Sewer Systems

A. Water Quality Measurements. Supports the development and standardization of 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 study of the integrity of the state's public water supply system to identify problems and ascertain whether penalties for lack of compliance are needed.

Addenda

5. Counties, Cities, and Towns

A. Office of Inspector General. Supports legislation authorizing the establishment of an independent Office of Inspector General for the County to audit and review County performance in contracting, construction of facilities, purchasing, and sale of land or other resources to assure appropriateness of expenditures.

7. Criminal Procedure

21-Day Rule. Urges passage of HB 1311 (Patron - Almand) to extend the period for consideration of potentially exculpatory evidence in capital cases from 21 days to 3 years.

8. Dangerous Weapons

B. Unconcealed Weapons. Supports putting the same restrictions on unconcealed firearms as now are imposed on

11. Education

B. Standards of Learning (SOL). Urges a study by an accredited independent organization to determine of SOLs can be made a more effective measurement of student achievement.

13. Housing

Housing Partnership Fund. Supports restoration of General Assembly funding for the Virginia Housing Partnership Fund to the level of $8 million per annum

14. Insurance

B. Third-Party Notification. Supports mandatory third-party notification so that incapacitated persons would not lose insurance coverage automatically if they should inadvertently miss a payment.

16. 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.

17. 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.




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Proposed Additions by Delegate John Antonelli

(Will be voted on separately)

1. To prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation

DISCUSSION: Currently n the Commonwealth of Virginia, it is legal to terminate or not promote someone on the basis of sexual orientation. While some communities, like Arlington, have passed legislation to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, others including places in Virginia where some Arlingtonians work, do not.

2. To change the County Manager Plan of government (Arlington County) to require 1 member to be elected at large, 4 elected from districts of equal population size. All members would be elected simultaneously for 4 year terms. Election would take place in the year before the Presidential election.

DISCUSSION: Arlington's current form of government does not allow for local representation which has allowed certain parts of the County to prosper while other parts are the designated dumping ground for programs no one wants. Additionally an at large, every year system makes it difficult if not impossible for independent and minority candidates to be elected without the backing of a political machine. The every year system makes it impossible for a reform minded electorate to make an appreciable change in their government due to the length of time it will take to remove incumbent board members.

3. Requires drivers to stop at all cross walks in which a pedestrian is trying to cross. Failure to do so would result in a $500 fine ($300 if you mail in) and 2 points.

DISCUSSION: The Virginia General Assembly passed and the Governor Gilmore signed legislation allowing Arlington County to designate specific crosswalks that drivers had to stop at. This legislation does not go far enough as motorists and pedestrians need to have a certainty of what is expected of them to ensure compliance, enforcement, and public safety.

4. Requires that persons convicted of forcible rape for the second time be imprisoned for life without the possibility of parole.

DISCUSSION: Rapists are rarely reformed. By keeping them incarcerated we keep others from becoming victims. No parole for second time rape offenders was in previous Civic Federation legislative packages.





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Proposed by Delegate Patrick Smaldore

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.




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This page was last revised on: December 27, 2003.