Dear Friend,
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! This is a very busy time of year for me, as we not only have the holiday times with family, but also prepare for the upcoming session.
Please take a quick look at these informational items which will probably affect you in the weeks ahead.
Purcellville DMV Select Re-opening in December!
After nearly a year of negotiation and work, I am pleased to announce that DMV Select service is being restored at the Virginia Regional Transit (VRT) location in Purcellville. I have been in communication with Federal, State, and local government officials for the last year, working to restore the DMV Select service in Western Loudoun. DMV Commissioner Richard Holcomb has notified me that the DMV Select service will be restored under VRT’s new management by the end of 2016. Read more here.
Just Say No to Metro Tax Shakedown
I still have bumper stickers around that read No Metro Tax. We had these printed and gave them out to help kill the idea of taxing citizens and businesses to pay for Silverline construction. Well we may need to print some more soon to help get the word out that Virginia should not cave to pressure from Washington DC council to raise our sales tax to pay for the rebuilding of the Metro system. I’ll use my energy to promote the only fair way to generate Metro money; do what Loudoun did, tax the developers near the stations all around the system, including Washington, D.C. and Maryland.
Fighting the drug abuse crisis
After meeting with several people in the community who are on the front lines helping combat this problem I will be asking the Governor to fully fund those programs operating in our region that are demonstrating solid progress. Also, I hope to introduce legislation which will focus on education, workforce and reentry initiatives, and drug treatment for at-risk populations.
I-66 Inside the Beltway Eastbound Widening
If you commute regularly or even occasionally to Washington, DC, you know how bad traffic backs up from I-66 in Ballston up the Dulles Toll Road to the Beltway. The good news is that a 4-mile portion of I-66 will be widened in the next few years to provide relief to this area. Public Hearings were held this week; more information is available here.
There is an effort underway to issue Drivers Licenses for Illegal Immigrants
I'd like to hear your thoughts on a policy that was discussed at a recent joint meeting of the Senate and House Transportation Committees. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has been heading up a study regarding whether Virginia should issue "Driving Credentials" to illegal immigrants. Some research about what other states have done in this area is available here.
Loudoun County Comprehensive Plan Amendment
I participated in Loudoun County Government's Comprehensive Plan outreach workshop at Woodgrove High School on this week. I encourage you to learn more and make sure your input is included in these important decisions that will shape our County. More information here.
Openings on Boards and Commissions
The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office publishes a list of vacancies scheduled to arise during the year on all boards, commissions, councils or other collegial bodies appointed by the Governor. The list is posted online here and includes the 2017 vacancies as well as the current openings that need to be filled. The list is updated every month or so to remove seats that have been filled. If you qualify for any of these position, and are interested in serving, you can submit an online application.
2017 Session Preparation
We have less than five weeks until the 2017 session begins. This week was a key deadline to make requests for drafts of legislation, so I've been working on many different legislative initiatives. I'm also meeting with the Boards of Supervisors of all three counties, the School Boards, and others who have suggested legislation.
Sincerely,
LOCAL CHRISTMAS EVENTS
Leesburg events
Purcellville events
Hillsboro events
Lovettsville events
More Loudoun Events this weekend
