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Greetings from Richmond!
Friday, January 10, 2014


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Contact Me
  
District Mailing Address:
PO Box 6156
McLean, VA 22106
 
District Office Location:
1356 Beverly Road
Suite 250
McLean, Virginia 22101
 
Paid for and authorized by Friends of Barbara Comstock

Greetings From Richmond

 

Dear Friend,

 

The Virginia General Assembly opened its 2014 session on Wednesday.  The state Constitution specifies a 60 day session that will conclude in early March.

 

It was a busy first few days of session down at the State Capitol.  I had the opportunity to give a prayer for State Legislators at the Commonwealth Prayer Breakfast.  Local, state and federal officials were in attendance and we all had the privilege of hearing from Thomas Haynesworth, a truly inspirational man, who was exonerated in 2011 after being wrongfully imprisoned for 27 years for crimes he did not commit. 

 

When Session officially convened at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, I had the honor of nominating the Honorable William J. Howell as Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.

 

 

During the 2014 session, I will continue to serve on the House Transportation Committee as well as the Commerce and Labor Committee.  I will also have the pleasure of serving as the newly elected Chairwoman of the House Science and Technology Committee.

 

I have introduced a number of bills that aim to create jobs in the Commonwealth, improve K-12 education and higher education and crack down on human trafficking.  I also am sponsoring a bill to create a Domestic and Sexual Violence Fund and consolidate and streamline the resources for victims

 

Some of the bills I have introduced include:

  • A bill to raise the authorization funding for the research and development tax expense credit for small businesses.
  • A bill to create a Domestic and Sexual Violence Fund and consolidate and streamline the resources for victims.
  • A bill to increase the number of in-state college spots available to our students.
  • A bill to increase penalties to individuals convicted of crimes related to human trafficking.  Such individuals would be subject to forfeit certain assets that were used in committing these crimes.
  • A bill to improve bicycle safety on Northern Virginia roadways.
  • A bill to allow localities to determine the start date for public schools.
  • A bill to provide pulse oximetry screenings of newborns in every hospital to test newborn infants for critical congenital heart defects.
  • A bill to require localities without an all-day kindergarten program to devise a plan by which they could implement this all-day program over a three year period.
  • A bill to allow online financial literacy courses to fulfill the requirement of financial literacy courses.
  • An overview bill to establish a section of the Code of Virginia related to defining human trafficking and human trafficking offenses.
  • A budget amendment to allocate funding to allow the Department of Forensic Science to hire and retain 3 forensic scientists responsible for performing physical evidence recovery kits (PERKs) when investigating and prosecuting cases of sexual assault.
  • A bill to allow bank directors to be the sole owner of shares of stock held through a brokerage account, living trust, profit-sharing plan or retirement plan.

 

I hope you have the opportunity to visit Richmond while we are in session.  Please contact my office if you plan to visit; my staff and I would be happy to arrange a tour of the Capitol for you.  My legislative assistant, Jessica Goodman, is available to assist you in your preparations.  Jessica can be reached by email at [email protected] and by phone at804-698-1034

 

Please don't hesitate to contact me if I may be of any assistance to you and your family.  During session I can be reached by email at [email protected].gov or by phone at 804-698-1034

 

Sincerely,

 

  

 

Barbara Comstock

 

 









Paid for by Friends of Barbara Comstock.