
Steve Martin: Legislative update
The 2014 session of the Virginia General Assembly entered the home stretch this week, as negotiations to iron-out differences between the House and Senate versions of the state’s biennial budget began.

The 2014 session of the Virginia General Assembly entered the home stretch this week, as negotiations to iron-out differences between the House and Senate versions of the state’s biennial budget began.

According to the results of a report commissioned by the Virginia General Assembly, more than 1.4 million Virginians, or 17.8 percent, live in “food deserts” where access to affordable, nutritious, fresh foods is limited.

Medicaid expansion is back, only now it goes by another name. With entrenched positions established on Medicaid expansion, some legislators are floating an alternative plan involving premium assistance run through the new federally-facilitated exchange, a plan termed “Marketplace Virginia.” It would probably help to unpack a bit.

The Virginia House Democratic Caucus announced its priorities for the 2014 legislative session on Thursday.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, Justices of the Supreme Court, members of the General Assembly, and my fellow Virginians. It is an honor for me to stand here tonight, before this great joint assembly, as the 72nd Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

It is my privilege to address you, one last time, as Governor, on the State of the Commonwealth. I must note that because it’s my last speech the Speaker promised me all the time I wanted… so get comfortable.

Sen. Janet Howell (D-Fairfax) delivered the Democratic rebuttal to Gov. McDonnell’s final state of the commonwealth address. She highlighted areas where Democrats and Gov. McDonnell worked together, and new opportunities for the future.

It occurs to me that Constitution isn’t the problem. The president isn’t the problem — or it’s always the same problem, depending on your perspective. No, the problem is a Congress that plays games all year long, partying and trading favors with special interests, with no idea of its constitutional responsibility or its duty to we the people.

Gov. Bob McDonnell unveiled the Commonwealth’s budget for the next two fiscal years in a morning address to the Joint Money Committees of the General Assembly.

Despite complaints that corporate taxes are too high, corporations on average pay only a third of the official federal income tax rate, according to a recent study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
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