Anti-uranium bus trip planned
Posted: Friday, January 25, 2013 10:06 amPittsylvania County Democratic Committee and the NAACP and Keep the Ban supporters will sponsor a bus ride from Chatham to Richmond Monday, Jan 28.
The trip will be held in conjunction with Conservation Lobby Day, which will be devoted to urging the governor and legislators to keep the moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia.
For more information or to reserve seats on the bus, call Elizabeth Jones at 432-3231.
http://www.wpcva.com/news/article_81e044ce-656e-11e2-8ed7-0019bb2963f4.html
Sen. Frank Ruff's column
Posted: Thursday, January 24, 2013 1:03 pmKey issues of the 2013 ses-sion are still developing. We know a great deal of time and energy will be spent on the usual ones including educa-tion, transportation, and this year mining and milling ura-nium. Other issues will be played up in the media but will amount to little.
Uranium is one of those hot issues. Those that wish to end the ban have spent a fortune lobbying and sending legislators around the globe to gain their support.
Business groups in Pittsyl-vania and Halifax, under-standing the stigma that will hang over the region, have responded making the case of why the ban should remain.
We are grateful whenever we get to see faces from the area. Please come up to the capitol if you get a chance and stop by our office in the General Assembly Building, Room 328.
If you can't come but want to share with us your thoughts on issues before the General Assembly you can do so by email district15@senate.virginia.gov, phone 804-698-7515, or mail to P.O. Box 396, Rich-mond, Va. 23218.
Sen. Frank Ruff represents the 15 District, which in-cludes part of Danville and Pittsylvania County.
http://www.wpcva.com/opinion/article_5e7ae740-6650-11e2-b1cd-001a4bcf887a.html
Del. Danny Marshall's column
Posted: Thursday, January 24, 2013 12:58 pmI want to encourage you this week to do two things. First, we have a survey on our website where you can give us your ideas and opinions concerning some of the issues that are before us at the General Assembly. We are seeking input from folks in our district.
Please go to www.dannymarshall.com and look on the left side of the homepage. At the end of the survey there is space to give us your thoughts about any topic of your choosing. We hope that you will do that.
My second suggestion for action concerns the question of mining and milling uranium. As I have stated previously, after much study, I am not convinced that the reward is worth the risk.
If you also believe that is the case, this is a crucial time to contact other legislators in Richmond to express your concerns. This is the time to speak. What you say or write should be brief, factual, and most of all respectful.
Two bills have been introduced that could essentially lift the ban on uranium mining and milling, by approving the writing of state regulations. They are Senate Bill 1353 offered by Senator John Watkins and House Bill 2330 introduced by Delegate Jackson Miller.
Two committees will take the first votes on these bills and determine if they are sent to full vote of the Virginia House and Senate.
The bills will be heard by the following committees:
House Commerce and Labor Committee (on which I serve) by last names:
Kilgore (Chairman), Purkey, Byron, Ware, R.L., Hugo, Rust, Marshall, D.W., Cline, Miller, Merricks, Loupassi, Cosgrove, Bell, Robert B., Comstock, Habeeb, Johnson, Joannou, McClellan, Ward, Lewis, Tyler, Spruill
Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Hanger (Chairman), Watkins, Puckett, Ruff, Blevins, Obenshain, McEachin, Petersen, Northam, Stuart, Marsden, Stanley, Black, Miller, Ebbin
Go to this webpage to read the bills and to find full names and contact information for the committee members: http://lis.virginia.gov/
And finally, I want to report to you about HB 1394 which would have made it easier for those who are 65 years or older to vote absentee. I introduced the bill to help those who have difficulty getting to the polls.
If my bill had passed, senior citizens would not have to describe their illness or problems on the application form in order to vote absentee, which is the request on the current form.
My bill passed the subcommittee of Privileges and Elections, but then a fiscal impact statement was issued with an estimated cost to State Board of Elections for mailing and processing absentee ballots.
This kept the bill from passing the full committee. I believe that most senior citizens want to go and vote in person, but this bill was to help those who have difficulty.
As we make decisions during legislative session, I want to know your views about Virginia issues and specific bills before us. We have a survey on-line for those who live in my district. The questions deal with topics that are before us in Richmond.
If you live in the 14th District and have not filled out our paper survey, I encourage you to go to my webpage: www.dannymarshall.com and access the 2013 on-line survey on the left side of the homepage.
If you want to read or keep up with Virginia legislation, you may go on line to: http://legis.virginia.gov/ .
Please let me know your ideas when you hear of state issues that are of concern.
Our office in Richmond is located in Room 702 of the General Assembly Building. You can contact us by sending an e-mail to DelDMarshall@house.virginia.gov or by sending a letter to me at PO Box 406, Richmond, Va. 23218-0406, or by calling 804-698-1014.
Visit my website at: www.dannymarshall.com.
Del. Danny Marshall (represents the 14th District, which includes Danville and parts of Pittsylvania and Henry counties.
http://www.wpcva.com/opinion/article_b44920d4-664f-11e2-b81f-001a4bcf887a.html
Del. Donald Merricks' column
Posted: Thursday, January 24, 2013 1:00 pmLate last Friday, the first bill to allow uranium mining and milling was introduced in the House of Delegates. A similar bill is expected to be introduced in the Senate.
The bill is 22 pages long, and I have read the bill through once and will read it several more times over the next two weeks.
I will most likely address this issue in next week's column. As you can see, we are never at a loss for issues to consider in the General Assembly.
We are here in Richmond to serve you. We want to hear what you think about the legislation pending before the House, or if there's anything we can do to help you in dealing with a state government agency.
My office can be reached at (804) 698-1016 or via the Internet at Deldmerricks@house.virginia.gov.
If you are planning to visit Richmond during the session, I encourage you to visit me in Room 810 in the General Assembly building.
Del. Don Merricks represents the 16th District, which includes most of Pittsylvania County.
http://www.wpcva.com/opinion/article_0038e2cc-6650-11e2-94a0-001a4bcf887a.html
James E. Edmunds II
Del. James E. Edmunds II/House of Delegates, 60th District | Posted: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 11:00 amLast week was the second week of the 2013 session and the pace has quickened. Some of my committee meetings begin at 7:30 a.m. and another one doesn’t begin until 5 p.m. In between are meetings of other groups, individuals, caucus and session. This sometimes makes for a very long day. Anticipation of snow further complicated things Thursday.
I am chief patron of three bills this year. House Bill 2184 would authorize the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to offer hunting and fishing licenses for different periods of time, other than three days and five days. House Bill 2185 would create an exemption to allow a town that has purchased an existing water supply system located in a county to construct an impoundment facility in the county. House Bill 2220 would designate a 38.4-mile segment of the Banister River as a Virginia Scenic River.
In addition, I am co-sponsoring several bills other legislators have submitted. I also have budget amendments for Longwood University, Southern Virginia Higher Education Center and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Virginia Uranium’s massive lobbying effort is continuing at warp speed.
The Coles Hill site made televised news last week because roads leading into the site flooded and were closed by the Virginia Department of Transportation after about two inches of rain, a situation we have continually warned about.
Last week, I invited local business leaders to come to Richmond to talk earnestly with legislators so they could communicate some of the very real issues we are already experiencing with just the possibility of a uranium mine next door. Special thanks go to John Cannon, Nancy Pool, Beth McCubbin, Scotty Felton and Laurie Moran, president of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, who spent two days speaking personally to both delegates and senators and expressing our very real concerns. I truly feel that sincere, personal contact makes a great deal of difference, and I encourage others to come as well.
I am making an appeal for everyone who can to come to Richmond when the bills are heard in committee. That is the only time you will have an opportunity to speak against the bill. At present, I do not know when that will be, but I will send out an alert as soon as the date is determined.
I had the pleasure of hosting several groups and individuals from the 60th District last week, including students from Southside Virginia Community College, hosted by Anne Hayes and Beth Elam; Longwood University students, hosted by Dr. Allison Colvin; and Halifax County Junior ROTC members, hosted by Lt. Col. Alvin Sykes. All represented their organizations and their respective schools well. It gives me a great deal of pride to see these fine young people taking an active interest in how government works.
Mark Estes, president of the Virginia Rural Water Association, visited last week and also spoke to legislators against lifting the ban. Dr. Frank Carr and Janet Leatigaga of Veterans of Foreign Wars were here Jan. 16. I also met with the acting president of Longwood University, Marge Connelly, and Brenda Atkins, and Carlyle Ramsey of Danville Community College.
I encourage you to contact me any time you have a concern by phone at 804-698-1060, by email at deljedmunds@house.virginia.gov, by mail at P.O. Box 406, Richmond, Va. 23218 or through my website at www.friendsofjamesedmunds.com.
I will be in Richmond until Feb. 23. If you visit the city, please come by my office in Room 805 of the General Assembly building. I look forward to hearing from you.
http://www.wpcva.com/altavista/opinion/article_05fadea2-6576-11e2-893d-001a4bcf887a.html
William M. Stanley Jr.: nothing about uranium mining and milling
