Delegate Hull 's

Richmond Report

Rest in Peace

Although I am a Methodist, I join my Catholic friends and the many others of different faiths around the world, in honoring the memory of Pope John Paul II.

I remember when Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope in 1978. I recall him being described as pastoral and that there was an air of optimism that greeted his selection.

I recall how deferential he had been to take the name John Paul in honor of his recently deceased predecessor of the same name.

That name, in turn, had been selected by the previous Pope, who died after serving a very brief time, to honor the last two Popes of the post-World War II generation.

In an era where conspicuous consumption seems to be the model for modern living, Pope John Paul II lived a simple life and was a true disciple of peace.

He was a man of the people, devoted to helping the less fortunate, who took the Word to those throughout the world.

I know that there are Catholics who feel that he was too conservative and rigid in his beliefs. But, he was steadfast and unwavering in a world of ambivalence.

It was his steadfast support for democracy that helped to topple the Communist governments of Eastern Europe and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union .

It started with his encouragement for the Solidarity union members in the Gdansk shipyard in his native Poland . Their struggle brought down the Communist Polish government and the other Iron Curtain countries followed.

Pope John Paul II was a great man and I join with millions of others in mourning his loss.

Boys of Summer

My family took advantage of the spring break and traveled to Florida . While the kids were interested in the Disney attractions in Orlando , I set my sights on Viera.

It is a little community above Melbourne and it is the springtime home of our new Washington Nationals baseball team.

We all traveled to Spacecoast Stadium to see the Nationals play the Orioles on March 25, which they lost in a rain shortened game.

Then, last Wednesday, I went with my cousin to see the Nationals beat the Braves, as a lead-off homer in the bottom of the 11 th inning won the game.

It was a great experience to be there. It also turned out to be a small world. At the Orioles game, we sat next to some Falls Church residents and I saw three people that I know.

Over the years, as I have been asked which is my favorite major league baseball team, I have answered that my favorite team has been gone since 1971.

While the Senators are long gone, but I still remember the last game they played. But, I now have a new favorite team after my 34-year wait.

It does not matter that the Nationals lost their first game of the year because there is always the next game and optimism springs eternal in baseball.

Back in the Holy City

Yesterday, I joined my 99 House of Delegates colleagues and the 40 members of the Senate of Virginia in the 2005 Reconvened Session.

The Constitution of Virginia states that the General Assembly will reconvene six weeks after adjourning a regular session to take up vetoes and recommendations of the Governor.

In Virginia , as in many states, a governor can recommend amendments to bills, as well as sign and veto them. This year, Governor Warner sent us recommendations to 45 bills and vetoed one piece of legislation.

The Governor’s actions are fairly modest. He has recommended largely technical changes to 34 House bills, including the budget bill, and 11 Senate bills.

In the budget, he did not veto a single item, but he recommended 30 changes. Some of these budget amendments are policy oriented, but most are technical in nature.

Press reports today will show that Governor Warner was almost completely successful in winning approval of his actions.

But, the real action of the day involved efforts by Senate Republicans to strip Senator Russ Potts of his committee assignments because he is running for governor as an independent.

It is a relief to have the squabbling go on in the Senate instead of the House, where the blood usually runs a little hotter.

However, this year’s session was a marked contrast to last year’s very contentious session. As you will recall, the House GOP anti-tax majority forced a bitter special session that lasted into May.

While not as nasty as last year, the 2005 session did have a bitter flavor in the House with a plethora of anti-immigrant and anti-gay bills.

Of course, this is an election year for House members, and election year politics can be perplexing sometimes. Just ask Senator Potts.

Delegate Bob Hull represents the 38th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. He may be emailed here.