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Virginia General Assembly 2013

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Virginia Lawmakers Fail to Repeal Gay Marriage Ban

Legislators join activists, fellow lawmakers in Richmond to call for change.

By Amber Galaviz, Capital News Service   State officials joined gay rights activists at a press conference Thursday to discuss their disappointment in Virginia's failure to repeal the state's constitutional ban against same-sex marriage in this year's General Assembly session. “I believe that marriage is about loving, committed couples wanting to make lifelong promises to each other – take care of each other, be responsible for each other and support each other,” Del. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) said at the event at the General Assembly Building. “And I think that if anybody – gay, straight – wants to stand up in front of their family and friends and make that commitment to grow old together, it’s not for me, or the judge or the state to …

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JoeOvercoat

8:25 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013

Actually, encouraging marriage among the homosexual demographic may *reduce* HIV/AIDS infections by reducing promiscuity within that demographic, possibly. Your children are not going to be turned gay by someone else: either they are or they aren't homosexual, already. So let people different than you be...that's what your children could be learning.   more ›

Friday, February 8, 2013

Va. Senate Passes Income Tax for Transportation Bill

Proposal would allow localities to impose a 1 percent income tax without voter approval.

The Virginia State Senate has passed a bill that would enable Virginia localities to create a local income tax to fund improvements to transportation infrastructure. Under the legislation, SB 1313, which is now awaiting review in the House of Delegates, local governments would be allowed to establish an income tax of up to 1 percent without approval from voters. The bill would affect the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William, and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.  Current Virginia law dictates a jurisdiction’s residents must approve a local income tax in a referendum. The majority of Virginia localities rely on road maintenance from the state, with the exception of some areas…

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

McDonnell Plan Cuts Gas Tax, Raises Sales Tax

Virginia governor's proposed $3.1 billion transportation overhaul gives higher percentage of sales tax to projects, leaves tax on diesel in tact.

By Mark Robinson, Capital News Service  RICHMOND — With the General Assembly set to convene, Gov. Bob McDonnell proposed Tuesday increasing Virginia’s sales tax and abolishing its nearly 27-year-old gas tax, making Virginia the first state in the country to do so. The measures are a part of the governor’s proposed $3.1 billion plan to fund improvements to Virginia’s transportation system over the next five years. The funds would supplement $14 billion of transportation projects already under way in the commonwealth, the most in Virginia’s history. “Declining funds for infrastructure maintenance, stagnant motor fuels tax revenues, increased demand for transit and passenger rail and the growing cost of major infrastructure projects …

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Jonathan Krall

3:28 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013

Since vehicle miles traveled has been dropping in the USA for the past several years[1], maybe we should close the gap with a cut in new roads, combined with a smaller tax increase (the gas tax hasn't gone up in 20 years and has shrunk in constant dollars because of inflation). [1] http://www.ssti.us/2012/02/motor-vehicle-travel-demand-continues-long-term-downward-trend-in-2011/   more ›

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