General Assembly Notebook: Monday, Feb. 8

- State Senate backs extended job-training benefits
- McDonnell supports update to composite index

Edited by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net

State Senate backs extended job-training benefits: Virginia’s Senate – led by a unanimous vote among Senate Democrats – passed a bipartisan bill Monday to help put unemployed Virginians back to work by providing extended benefits for job training programs.

SB239 – sponsored by Republican Sen. John Watkins (R-Midlothian) and co-sponsored by Sens. Mamie Locke (D-Hampton), Roscoe Reynolds (D-Martinsville) and Phil Puckett (D-Tazewell) – would help make Virginia eligible for $125 million in federal stimulus funds targeted directly to help unemployed Virginians get back to work. The bill would offer 26 weeks of extended benefits to unemployed Virginians who are going through job training programs.

“I’m glad to see the Senate work together on this bipartisan measure to put Virginians back to work,” said C. Richard Cranwell, chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia. “Under this bill, more Virginians would be able to get the skills they need to find a new job in this tough economy.”

Watkins’ bill passed by a 31-9 margin, including all 22 Senate Democrats. Nine Senate Republicans voted against the simple measure to put Virginians back to work. Republicans voting no were: Sens. Emmett Hanger (R-Mount Solon), Robert Hurt (R-Chatham) Stephen Martin (R-Chesterfield), Ryan McDougle (R-Mechanicsville), Jeffrey McWaters (R-Va. Beach), Stephen Newman (R-Forest), Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg), Ralph Smith (R-Roanoke) and Frank Wagner (R-Va. Beach).

“It’s a shame that these nine Republican senators chose to play politics instead of standing up for the thousands of Virginians who are looking for jobs,” Cranwell continued. “With unemployment at record levels, all Virginians should come together on bipartisan solutions that put our citizens back to work.”

After today’s passage, the bill will move on to the Republican-controlled House of Delegates.

McDonnell supports update to composite index: Gov. Bob McDonnell announced today that he will support updating the Local Composite Index, the formula which determines state and local education funding responsibility, in the upcoming budget.

The move will mean another proposed change to the introduced budget, which froze the LCI at its current level. The LCI has historically always been adjusted every two years to account for changing local economic conditions. The proposal to freeze the Index was unprecedented, and would have cost certain localities in Northern Virginia $128.3 million in state education funding.

“For nearly forty years, the Local Composite Index has been an impartial means by which to determine state and local responsibility for education funding in Virginia,” McDonnell said. “The application of this Index has always been done in an objective manner, using the most recent fiscal data to most fairly apportion state resources. For many school districts, particularly in Northern Virginia, the biennial update of the Index has meant far less funding from the state than that received by school districts in localities experiencing lesser rates of economic growth. Accordingly, I will not support the proposed freeze in the budget introduced by the previous Administration. The Local Composite Index must be applied to all localities, at all times, in the same objective and fair manner by which it has always been utilized.”

In announcing his decision to undo the proposed freeze of the Index, McDonnell also identified specific budget savings to account for the additional state spending required. The update will cost the state $29 million in FY 2011. To cover this increased funding, McDonnell will recommend to the General Assembly the transfer of $13 million from Literary Fund balances; $8 million through the use of available balances in the Health Insurance Fund to reduce state health insurance premiums; $5.2 million will be found in Real ID savings and an available $3 million will be captured in additional Non-General Fund balances. Budget recommendations will continue to be made and communicated to the legislature in the coming days.