HB1397 - Chief Patron Delegate Bob Marshall

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia relating to compliance with energy efficiency standards for residences under federal cap and trade legislation.

Full Text of the bill

HB 1398 Chief Patron Delegate Bob Marshall

Air pollution emissions. Defers to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the enforcement of any carbon dioxide standards or cap and trade provisions that are included in the federal Clean Air Act. The Governor through an executive order or the General Assembly is prohibited from enforcing any climate change international agreement until such agreement is part of an international treaty that has been approved by the U.S. Senate. The bill requires the Governor, in consultation with the Attorney General, to examine these provisions and determine whether Congress has the authority to enact mandates upon the state. The Governor is to report his findings to the General Assembly. The bill authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action against the EPA if he finds that the mandated standards are based on a finding that is not scientifically demonstrated.

Full text of the bill

Intrastate Commerce Act - Chief Patron Delegate Mark Cole

An Act making products made in Virginia exempt from federal law or federal regulation.

Full text for the proposed language

Bill number and actual text to come soon

Free Speech Act -Chief Patrons Delegate John M. O'Bannon, III & Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel

Our great nation was built upon free and open discourse, and to remain a great nation this ideal must be protected and preserved at all costs. In order to protect the first amendment rights of the citizens in the state of Virginia this legislature declares that:

The Government cannot regulate the exchange of information between any entities in the commonwealth of VA, whether it is on internet, radio and /or any other media outlets.  As it is a direct violation of our 1st amendment rights protected by the constitution.  Regulation is defined as direct restriction of flow of information, taxation, and denial of service.

This includes the “Fairness” Doctrine – as well as backdoor “Fairness” Doctrine-type FCC regulatory powers such as enforcement of “localism,” “diversity in media ownership” and service of the “local” or “public interest.”

This also includes any attempt to regulate content of the internet or any other journalistic outlet.
 

HB 1357 - Chief Patron James W. Moorefield

Prohibits the Air Pollution Control Board and the Department of Environmental Quality from taking any action to restrict the emission of carbon dioxide.

Full text of the bill

Constitutional Amendment/Statute to Eliminate State Income Taxes

Passing a constitutional amendment that would limit the growth of state spending and taxes to the rate of population growth plus inflation, would allow the complete phase-out of the individual income tax and the corporate income tax in four years.

Put another way, by capping state spending and taxes while excess revenue is generated by economic growth in the Virginia economy, historical data indicates it would only take four years to completely eliminate state income taxes in the Commonwealth. This can be achieved while maintaining the same level of real state spending per capita as today.

Constitution Amendment for Eminent Domain Reform

In the 2007 General Assembly session, a statute was passed that prohibits private property from being taken by eminent domain for the primary purpose of benefiting a second private party, or for economic development, or for job creation, or for tax revenue enhancement. The eminent domain reform statute also prohibits the government from taking more property than needed to achieve a stated public use and forbids the government from taking one person’s property because adjoining property is blighted.

Since 2007, the condemnors’ lobby attends every session of the General Assembly in an attempt to weaken the good eminent domain reform statute that is now on the books. We must pass a constitutional amendment to protect private property, because constitutional amendments cannot be changed without a vote of the people who are seldom inclined to weaken their own property rights.

Statute: The Public Education Tax Credit Act

The Public Education Tax Credit Act allows all taxpayers, individual and corporate, to claim education tax credits for direct payment of educational expenses and for contributions to organizations that provide educational scholarships to lower-income families. Important points regarding the proposed legislation:

1. The program is not capped at an arbitrary dollar amount. Each child is eligible to receive tax-credit-derived funds up to an amount that is less than current per-pupil spending in government schools.

2. Scholarship eligibility is not capped at an arbitrary income level.

3. The tax credits cover all education expenses, not just tuition.

4. Anyone, including businesses, can claim a tax credit for donating money for the education of a child.

Statute: Privatize the Commonwealth’s ABC Stores

The General Assembly should sell its Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) stores. These are state-owned and operated stores that sell packaged spirits. Private merchants are currently prohibited by law from competing against Virginia’s ABC stores in the retailing or wholesaling of distilled spirits.

Governor McDonnell has spoken in favor of selling the ABC stores with the proceeds to be used for transportation.