The Richmond Report is weekly update on the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce’s efforts to protect the interests of Loudoun businesses during the 2009 Virginia General Assembly.

The following provides an update from Richmond on activity on the key issues and bills of interest to the members of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce and the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The Loudoun County Chamber and Dulles Regional Chamber partnership continues to strongly support policies and investments that cultivate growth in all segments of our economy. That is why we support the maximum investment in Virginia's economic development efforts, especially given today's difficult economic climate. The Chamber supports the following economic development proposals that are still under consideration in the 2009 General Assembly session:

• Additional $5 million for the Governors' Opportunity Fund (GOF);
• Additional $1.5 million for the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP);
• Restoration of the $500,000 reduction to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP); and
• Additional $3 million to the Virginia Tourism Corporation, to promote the Commonwealth.

TRANSPORTATION
At this point in legislative session, there are no real prospects for additional investment in transportation that Virginia so severely needs. Even the additional funds that Virginia will receive through the Federal stimulus package will do little to address the Commonwealth’s severe challenges.

The best hope for new transportation funding this session died this week. The Senate Finance Committee denied HB 1579 (Oder), which would dedicate a portion of future tax revenue growth to transportation in five regions in the Commonwealth. In Northern Virginia, the bill proposed to dedicate 30% of all future growth of personal and corporate income taxes, sales, use and insurance registration taxes to fund regional road, transit and rail projects. The Senate Finance Committee’s failure to approve this effort denied Northern Virginia the opportunity to raise and invest our own money to address this region’s transportation funding crisis.

Here is a quick update other transportation-related activity this session.

• Transportation Corridor Protection – Delegate Tom Rust’s plan to require the Commonwealth Transportation Board to identify and incorporate corridors of statewide significance in Virginia's Statewide Transportation Plan continues to advance.

• Transportation Trust Fund Protection -- There are two proposed Constitutional amendments plans in play to protect the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) for transportation purposes. The Senate proposes a strict "double lock box" that discourages any transfer from the TTF to the General Fund, or from the General Fund to the TTF. The House is focused on protecting the TTF funds from being transferred to the General Fund.

• HB 2479 (Hugo) -- This bill would reduce the rate of the additional real property tax that may be imposed on commercial property by localities embraced by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority from $0.25 per $100 to $0.125 per $100. (Update: passed in the Senate Finance Committee 14-2)

• HB 2480 (Hugo and Vanderhye) -- This bill would require localities to use the revenue from the special real property tax on commercial property in localities embraced by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority or the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority solely for new road construction and new public transit construction. (Update: passed in the Senate Finance Committee 14-2)

HEALTH CARE

Small Business Health Insurance -- The Loudoun County Chamber and Dulles Regional Chamber partnership continues to support legislation to allow small business owners to purchase one of three types of lower cost health insurance coverage that will cover basic health care needs. The partnership also supports the creation of "Protect the Uninsured" (PTU) policies, which empower small businesses with no more than 50 employees, to provide coverage to workers who have been uninsured for the preceding six months. These bills continue to advance.

The chambers are also supporting HB 2557 (Nixon) and SB 1351 (Wagner), which would require that all future health insurance mandates also apply to health insurance plans for state employees. This puts government and the private sector on the same footing with respect to future health insurance mandates. These bills also continue to advance with strong business community support.

HIGHER EDUCATION
Funding -- The Loudoun County Chamber and Dulles Regional Chamber partnership is strongly supporting the following, as budget negotiations continue:

• Protection of the flexibility to set tuition so that it maintains higher education institutions' capacity to respond to increasing enrollment demands.
• Preservation of Northern Virginia Community College's (NVCC) current funding to continue to offer affordable access to post-secondary education and workforce training - this is particularly important given NVCC's commitment to increasing enrollment.
• Protection of $4 million for the Eminent Scholars Programs - This matching program encourages private investment in higher education excellence.
• Investment of an additional $4 million in undergraduate financial aid for need-based student financial assistance for in-state students, which would benefit George Mason University (GMU), which has historically been one of the universities with the greatest student need.
• Investment of an additional $3.5 million in George Mason University, to cover facility-related costs so that it can open its newly constructed facility in Arlington, which represents GMU's greatest need for growth at this time.

TAXES/REVENUE

Dealer Discount Issue -- The Virginia Coalition Against Repeal of Dealer Discounts, of which the Loudoun County Chamber and Dulles Regional Chamber are members, strongly supports keeping the dealer discount whole, while opposing approaches that cap dealer discounts and adopt a bi-monthly remittance for the Commonwealth's largest retailers. Dealer discounts are the small reimbursements the Commonwealth makes to Virginia’s retailers and other businesses to cover the costs associated with the collection and remittance of various taxes.

In addition, the coalition supports budget language that would eliminate any changes to the dealer discount program, if the federal stimulus bill provides sufficient funds to balance Virginia’s budget.

REGULATORY/DEVELOPMENT PROCESS BILLS
The LCCC-DRCC partnership continues to support the following regulatory reform proposals:
• HB 2034 (Lingamfelter) -- Extends the period of plat validity with phased developments. (Update: passed in the Senate Local Government Committee 15-0)
• HB 2077 (Oder and Peace) -- Increases from five to 10 years the period of validity for certain preliminary and recorded plats and final site plans. (Update: passed in the Senate Local Government Committee 15-0)
• SB 1335 (Stuart) -- Provides that where an amendment to proffered conditions is requested by the proferror, and where such amendment does not affect conditions of use or density, a local governing body may waive the requirement for a public hearing. (Update: bill has been assigned to the House Counties, Cities and Towns Subcommittee for consideration)

The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce’s “Richmond Report” is provided by Mindy Williams of Access Point Public Affairs.