Senator Whipple's Richmond Report

The General Assembly opened on January 12th and I must say the first week has gone by in a blur. This year is the short session, only 46 days long, so a great deal must be accomplished in a very short period of time.

We began on a high note the first evening with the Governor’s address on the State of the Commonwealth. The event has a certain amount of pomp and circumstance. Held in the House chamber, extra seats are brought in for special guests. The Senators were announced and we paraded in, followed by the Cabinet secretaries, the commissioners of the State Corporation Commission, the Supreme Court justices, and the Attorney General. The Lieutenant Governor was already seated on the dais with the Speaker of the House. The First Lady and the Warner daughters were announced as they entered the gallery. Finally the Governor entered as everyone in the Chamber stood and applauded.

Governor Warner began by outlining the fiscal conditions that he faced when he entered office three years ago, the steps that he and the General Assembly had taken to streamline and reduce the costs of state government, and the historic actions taken last year to achieve significant budget and tax reform.

He went on to say that much remains to be done. He reminded us that an important part of the budget this year will be to use current unanticipated revenues wisely, primarily for one-time expenditures, and not to approve recurring expenses. Expected increases in K-12 enrollment, Medicaid and public safety will require much of the new revenue and must be planned for.

Throughout his speech, the Governor emphasized the bipartisan collaboration that has been the hallmark of his administration. “Together,” he proclaimed, we have accomplished much.

After the address, bipartisanship continued as all the members of the General Assembly were invited to the Governor’s Mansion for cake and coffee.

Martin Luther King’s birthday was a special occasion at the General Assembly. Senator Henry Marsh of Richmond spoke eloquently of Dr. King’s legacy as a civil rights leader, a great orator, a courageous man of faith. The first annual “Spirit of Martin” awards were given to Senator Yvonne B. Miller of Norfolk and Delegate Preston Bryant of Lynchburg.

The King holiday is also the day when more citizens come to visit the General Assembly than any other time during the session. Monday’s visitors included nearly 500 members of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation decked out in blue knit mufflers. There was a very large contingent of members from the Mental Health Coalition, including persons with mental retardation and other recipients of mental health or substance abuse services, all carrying orange balloons. There were motorcycle enthusiasts who want to repeal the helmet requirement, easily identifiable in their leather jackets; a number of former pages; and concealed weapon permit holders who brought their guns into the General Assembly building. Altogether, a colorful day in Richmond! Senator Mary Margaret Whipple may be emailed at mmwhipple@erols.com