Abusive driver fees not only priority
Mental health and nonpartisan redistricting also top the list of priorities for the General Assembly session this winter.
With family members of the Virginia Tech victims looking on at his State of the Commonwealth speech, Gov. Tim Kaine called for a $45 million increase in mental health spending. Seung-Hui Cho, the Tech student who killed 32 students and faculty members and then himself last April, had a history of mental health problems.
State Sen. Creigh Deeds, whose district includes Buena Vista and parts of Rockbridge County, also hopes the assembly will change the way Virginia's voting districts are drawn. The General Assembly currently handles redistricting; Deeds wants a nonpartisan commission to run the process.
"We need districts that are less polarized," he said.
For the past seven years, Deeds has introduced a bill calling for nonpartisan redistricting. Last year was the first time the bill made it to a vote on the Senate floor. The bill passed in the Senate but was defeated in a House committee.
During last week's speech, Kaine asked the legislators to create a new bipartisan approach to redistricting.
For the first time since 1999, the Democrats will control the Senate, but Republicans will remain in control of the House of Delegates. Deeds thinks the divided nature of the two chambers will make members more likely to support his redistricting proposal.
"This year I hope people will realize the advantages of it," Deeds said. "I feel this is our best chance yet."
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisor:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Phylissa
Mitchell
Reporting supervisors:
Prof. Doug
Cumming
Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd