Friday, February 8, 2013
Ken Plum, who represents parts of Vienna, will hold "Conversations with Delegate Plum" event in Reston.
Virginia legislators are halfway through the 2013 Virginia General Assembly session, and Del. Ken Plum (D-36th), who represents parts of Vienna, is traveling back to his district to tell his constituents about it. Plum will be holding two events on Saturday for constituents to share with him their thoughts and concerns and also talk about the status of several pieces of legislation. Plum will be at: Can't make it Saturday? You can always reach Plum at kenplum@aol.com. Like us here? Like Vienna Patch on Facebook and Twitter too.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Virginia Democratic Caucus says there is no magic bullet for tolls, traffic solutions.
Del. Ken Plum (D-Reston), whose district includes parts of Vienna and Oakton, was among a group of house delegates Monday who spoke out in Richmond about Virginia traffic. Plum called "some of the worst transportation gridlock in the country" and offered bipartisan support to solutions to the problem. "From the north end of the urban crescent in Northern Virginia - with the third- worst commute in the nation - to the southern end at Virginia Beach with the 18th-worst commute, Virginians pay dearly with the lost time, money, and quality of life because of traffic congestion," Plum said at a news conference held by the House Democratic Caucus. Among the goals for the House Democrats: To see a 5-percent wholesale gas tax; giving urban areas …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Stay on the line to talk to your state delegate about issues important to you.
When your phone rings at 8 p.m. on Thursday, it could be Del. Ken Plum calling. Plum, who has represented a district including parts of Vienna and Oakton for more than 30 years, is hosting a conference call with constituents, so stay on the line to discuss the current Virginia General Assembly session. Plum said as the session got underway on Jan. 9 that his priorities would be public funding — and restoring funding cut during the recession — for K-12 and higher education; meeting and funding the mental health recommendations that were made after the Virginia Tech shootings; closing the gun show loophole that allows gun purchases without criminal or mental health background checks; obtaining additional state cash to go to Phase 2 of the …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Northern Virginia lawmakers will likely introduce or reintroduce gun bills at 2013 legislative session. Is this the year some of them will pass?
In the wake of Friday's mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Virginia Sen. Janet Howell (D-Reston) says she will reintroduce a bill that would close the commonwealth's gun show loophole, which allows people to buy firearms at gun shows without a background check. "It's tragic," Howell says about the shooting that killed 20 schoolchildren and six adults. "I don't know whether I'm more angry or sad over it. I have introduced this bill in the past, and so have other people, but I'm hopeful there will be a better chance of passage this year." Closing the gun show loophole is among several gun bills in Virginia that repeatedly have been introduced and died in committee or are otherwise defeated. There are already …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will receive award Tuesday from the Dulles Corridor Rail Association.
The Dulles Corridor Rail Association board of directors will present an award to US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at its annual meeting Tuesday in Tysons Corner. LaHood, who stepped in to form a compromise among stakeholders to reduce costs for the Silver Line's Phase 2 in 2011 and to keep Loudoun County from pulling out of the project in 2012, will also be the guest speaker at the event. DCRA Chairman Del. Kenneth Plum and Vice Chairman Del, Thomas D. Rust will present the award to the Secretary, according to a news release. Fairfax County Board Chairman Sharon Bulova will provide welcoming remarks. The Silver Line Phase 1 is on schedule and more than 80 percent completed. It is scheduled to open in December 2103. For more on the…
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sunday hunting bill makes its way through the state Senate
Five bill proposals from the state senators representing Vienna passed through their own chamber last week and await consideration from the House of Delegates. The General Assembly began its fourth week of the 60-day legislative session on Monday. Sen. Chap Petersen The Senate approved a bill that would allow hunting Sundays on private property (SB 464) with a 29-11 vote. The legislation, which had Sen. Chap Petersen's bill (SB 173) on the issue rolled into it, was introduced by Sen. Ralph Northam (D-6th District). Petersen (D-34th District) had another victory on the Senate floor when his proposal that would require state buildings to follow Virginia Energy Conservation and Environmental Standards (SB 160) passed on a 26-14 vote. Petersen…
Monday, January 16, 2012
Republicans seize power in the Senate; legislators receive committee assignments
Last Wednesday, the Virginia General Assembly convened for its 2012 legislative session. Though much of the first week is routine — swearing in legislators, assigning lawmakers to committees — this year's start had a spark to it, as the Republicans used Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling's role as Senate president to seize control in an evenly split chamber, despite protests from the Democrats. The Republicans, led by majority leader Thomas Norment (R-3rd District), stacked the Senate committees with legislators of their own party, giving them not just all the chairmanships but also majorities in 10 of the 11 committees — despite Senate rules that call for committees to reflect the party proportions. The committee shakeup had a direct effect on one of …
Friday, January 6, 2012
Education, uranium mining and budget on legislators' and citizens' minds as 2012 General Assembly session approaches.
Citizens came to the Reston Community Center on Thursday to tell Sen. Janet Howell (D-32) and Del. Ken Plum (D-36) what is on their mind as the 2012 Virginia General Assembly session begins next week. The longtime legislators host this public meeting annually to get a feel for what constituents are thinking. Howell and Plum will be busy at the 60-day session. There are some 3,000 bills — as well as the $85 billion budget for 2012-14 — on the docket. Howell, in her sixth term, is part of a Senate that is split evenly among Democrats and Republicans, with Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) purportedly being able to cast the deciding vote. Howell says she is looking forward to meeting with the Senate Democratic Caucus to figure out Bolling's limits…
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Longtime delegate says he wants to concentrate on policy, not partisan politics.
Del. Ken Plum, re-elected last week to his 16th consecutive term representing Virginia's 36th District, says he will not seek another term as Chair of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus. Plum has been in that position for three years. "It is an incredibly time consuming and thankless job," said Plum. "So we ought to pass around the opportunity to do it. When the house Democratic Caucus reorganizes, I will not be seeking re-election as chairman." Plum serves on the agriculture, conservation and natural resources committee, as well as the science and technology committee and the rules committee. He says he would prefer to work on issues rather than partisan leadership. "My passion is really policy," said Plum. "Issues like the economic …
Monday, November 7, 2011
A guide to candidates and races in the Nov. 8 elections
Residents will choose new state and local representation Nov. 8. Here’s your complete guide to who’s running to represent Vienna. For all of our election stories from this year, visit our Elections Page. Where and When to Vote Due to statewide redistricting, some voters may be going to a different polling location than in past years, even if the voter has not moved. Find out where to vote here. WHO’S ON THE BALLOT Vienna's residents will be selecting a state senator, house delegates, and Fairfax County schools and government officials. STATE Culipher, Petersen: State Senate – District 34 Incumbent Chap Petersen, a Democrat, is facing a challenge from Gerarda Culipher. Petersen (website, Facebook, Twitter) has served in the Virginia State …
the-stix
3:37 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Why is it that gun control advocates only seem to come out in droves when there is a tragedy such as in Connecticut, but seldom if ever for inner-city gun crime which is significant and with us every day? I understand in Chicago for example, where gun control laws are some of the strictest in the nation, there have been near 500 gun deaths already this year. Certainly this is a question to ponder… more ›