Archive for April, 2006 Page 2 of 2
David spent yesterday and today in Richmond as the House of Delegates very briefly resumed the special session that convened on March 27. House Republicans pushed through a new version of Virginia’s biennial budget that still raids money for core services like education, health care, and public safety while now pushing off any discussion of transportation funding to an unspecified future special session.
“House Republicans continue to be isolated in the extreme when it comes to the budget,” said David. “Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, House Democrats, the Governor, Virginia’s business community, and most mainstream Virginians all agree that Virginia needs about $1 billion a year in sustained, dedicated, long-term transportation funding to get people out of gridlock, keep our economy strong, and improve quality of life. Now House Republicans want to push off transportation to some future session, which may or may not even happen.”
Once again, House Democrats offered a series of budget amendments to reinstate funding for core services like veterans care, fire departments, gang prevention, and education, but the Republican majority in the House voted against these critical priorities.
The House adjourned until after the Reconvene Session — also known as the “Veto Session” — on April 19 in which the General Assembly addresses bills from the regular session that Governor has vetoed or amended.
After the House adjourned, David returned home to celebrate the first night of Passover — and Shayna’s birthday! — with family and friends at a seder hosted by Dan Solomon and Laura Dove in Del Ray, the Englins’ Alexandria neighborhood.
David and Shayna joined more than 1,300 supporters of equal rights at Equality Virginia’s annual Commonwealth Dinner in Richmond yesterday. Former Virginia Governor and U.S. Senator Charles Robb electrified the crowd with a keynote address in which he vigorously denounced discrimination against GLBT people and declared his intention to vote NO on the constitutional amendment before voters this fall that would ban any legal recognition for relationships of unmarried individuals, including civil unions and domestic partnerships. During the dinner, the newly-formed Commonwealth Coalition launched its campaign to prevent the passage of the amendment, which David fought in committee and on the House floor during his first minutes and days in office.
“It’s inspiring to be surrounded by so many people form all across Virginia willing to stand up and fight for equal rights,” said David. “This constitutional amendment flies in the face of American values, and Team Englin will be working closely with the Commonwealth Coalition to defeat it. As November approaches, our house will again transform into Campaign Central as our grassroots volunteers make phone calls and knock on doors to persuade others to Vote NO.”
For more information about the campaign to defeat the amendment, please visit the Commonwealth Coalition web site at www.votenova.org.
A letter by Governor Timothy Kaine, read at the event by the Honorable Viola Baskerville, Secretary of Administration for the Commonwealth, urged all Virginians to join Governor Kaine in voting NO on the amendment. Kaine called the amendment a “divisive measure (that) is stealing from the important issues — transportation, education, health care and the environment — that truly affect all Virginians.”
The Hotline, an influential political newsletter published by the National Journal, last week named David one of Virginia’s “Stars to Watch in the Future.”
According to the edition of The Hotline making the announcement:
“We wanted to know who The Hotline would be writing about two, five, even 10 years down the road. So we took a look at some rising stars in every state from both parties. . . Relying on interviews with consultants, state party officials and journalists familiar with each state’s political landscape, we’ve done our best to update our list and survey each state party’s bench going in to the ‘06 cycle, the ‘08 cycle and beyond.”
“Of course I’m very flattered that The Hotline would be so kind, especially considering the other terrific people on the list,” said David. “More than any reflection on me personally, it’s really a tribute to the hundreds of grassroots volunteers who stand with me. If they’re writing about me ‘10 years down the road’ I hope it’s because I continued to work hard for the people of the 45th District and because Team Englin continued to build and to grow and to empower individuals to make a difference.”
