Thread: Immigration legislation protested -RICHMOND, VA.

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02/05/2007
General Assembly update - 02/05/07
Briefs compiled by Capital News Service

Immigration legislation protested
RICHMOND, VA. - More than 70 people gathered in Monroe Park in Richmond Saturday to protest several immigration-oriented legislation proposals being considered by the General Assembly.
Speeches highlighting the social contributions of immigrants were followed by a march to the state Capitol where an hour-long rally was held.
The protest, organized by Mexicanos Sin Fronteras (Mexicans Without Borders), was designed to bring together immigrant families, students, workers and supporters united by the idea of equality and justice for all humans regardless of their origin.
"We are not criminals," said Ricardo Juarez, a member of Mexicans Without Borders in his opening speech. "We are saying here that before we are immigrants, we are humans."
Juarez announced a hunger strike that members of the immigrant-rights group had begun Friday. The strike is part of a chain of events the group has called "Immigrant Journey for Justice and Dignity."
Juarez said greater sacrifices might follow the hunger strike.
Supporters of the movement included teachers, church representatives and immigrants' co-workers.
Kevin Fisher is a public school teacher who previously has lived and worked in Mexico and Central America. Fisher said foreign workers contribute to and support the country and should not be persecuted by the government.
"I am proud to call myself friend to the immigrants - documented, undocumented, of all types - here in our commonwealth," Fisher said.
The main issue Fisher was protesting was a bill designed to deny the opportunity of higher education to illegal immigrants and their children.
Outreach chairman for the Culmore United Methodist Church in Falls Church, Dave Ransom attended the protest in response to the effect the proposed legislation would have on the church's charity.
"We give out food. We don't ask people if they are legal or illegal in the country," Ransom said. "Some of the legislation would make us felons if we give to undocumented, hungry people."
Ransom said other churches also support the cause, but didn't have time to prepare and send representatives.
Many of the protesters could not speak English to openly express their views. Alexander Claros Alvarado, 17, moved to Virginia from Mexico a year ago. Residing with his brother and father, Alvarado attends a Virginia public school. Alvarado said he liked Virginia and wanted to be able to stay.
Others came to the rally to support the immigrants' efforts. Laura Larco is a teacher for the Arlington public school system. Larco, originally from Peru, has been in the United States for more than 20 years. She said the way immigrants are treated is horrible and unfair.
"No human being should go through (the fear of deportation)," Larco said. "Families are being split, children who are going to school are being pulled from schools and deported."
Deportation was a major issue protesters discussed. Pushing a stroller, Gabriela Gomes came out with her husband and three children to protest proposed deportation legislation.
"We are not criminals, we came here to work," said Gomes, who has lived in the United States for 15 years. "We are not taking anything from anyone. What we have, we deserve because we worked for it."
Teresita Jacinto, a Mexicans Without Borders member and event organizer, said she was pleased with the rally's turnout.
"I think that the turnout is directly a result of the fear that there is in the community,"
Jacinto said. "I do not think that we are not supported . There are some that are here, but there
are many that were fearful."

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Current immigration proposals in the General Assembly
Immigrants in Virginia who are illegally in the country would be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor, proposes Del. David Albo (R-Springfield). The House Committee for Courts of Justice reported the bill with substitute on Feb. 2.
State or local funds would not be awarded to religious, charitable, community or educational organizations that provide help to people who don't qualify for direct government financial aid. The bill, proposed by Del. Jackson Miller (R-Manassas), passed the House with a 70-29 vote on Jan. 30 and currently is waiting review in the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services.
Illegal immigrants would not be eligible for higher education benefits, including in-state tuition, under a proposal that passed the House Feb. 1 in a 74-23 vote. The bill, which is sponsored by Del. John Reid (R-Richmond) incorporates three similar proposals and is currently in the Senate Committee on Education and Health.
- By Gergana Bobeva

Unattended child bills killed in committee
RICHMOND, VA. - Two proposed bills designed to create penalties for those who leave children unattended in motor vehicles were defeated this past week in the House Criminal Law Courts of Justice subcommittee action.
Both Del. William Barlow (D-Williamsburg) and Del. David Albo (R-Fairfax) proposed legislation that would find persons who leave children younger than 6 years old unattended in motor vehicles guilty of misdemeanor crimes.
Albo's bill, HB2146, would have made the first offense a Class 1 misdemeanor. However, children were not labeled "unattended" if a child 12 or older is physically present.
In Barlow's bill, HB2711, the first offense offered two options: a fine of no more than $100 or attendance at a course on the dangers of leaving young children unattended in a motor vehicle. The offender would have been responsible for paying for the course.
A second offense would have resulted in a Class 4 misdemeanor and a fine of $250.
A third offense would have resulted in a Class 3 misdemeanor and a fine of $500.
Kids in Cars is an organization that addresses child safety in motor vehicles. According to the organization's Web site, 126 children died while left unattended in 2006. Becky Ball, director of the Virginia chapter and a development director for Kids in Cars worked with Albo on his bill.
As of 2005, 11 states had laws related to leaving children in a car unattended.
John Massingill is one of Barlow's constituents. He said he was not against the bill's intentions, but he said Barlow's bill was too vague.
Massingill uses an example of pumping gas on a hot summer day.
"How far away do I have to be for the child to be unattended," he said. "Who gets to decide the risk of health to a child? The way the bill is written, I can be charged with a misdemeanor."
Massingill said Albo's bill was better for its definition of an "unattended" child.
With both bills tabled, Ball was optimistic about possibly working with Albo and Barlow in hopes of combining both of their bills in the future.
"There's always next year," she said.
A recent incident in Alexandria points to another part of the population that might need protection against being left in a very hot or a very cold car: adult passengers who are physically incapable of leaving the car.
A nursing home resident recently suffered from hypothermia after being left unattended in a church van for more than 18 hours after a Sunday morning church service. Police received a call from the nursing home at 8:20 p.m. Jan. 21 about the missing resident, the Associated Press reported.
Prostler Samuels, 96, was found in the van the next day.
While Barlow's bill would only have protected children 6 years old or younger, he said he hasn't forgotten about motor vehicle incidents that may involve older or physically challenged passengers.
"There is no doubt that this may come up in bills proposed next January," Barlow said. "(The current bill's wording and a potential update) could be combined possibly, but those (parts) affecting juveniles would be under a different code," Barlow said.
- By Stephen A. Hicks and Anna-Marie Epps


Bill defining 'birth control' struck down
RICHMOND, VA. - A proposal stating birth control is not a form of abortion was defeated in the House's Health, Welfare and Institutions committee Tuesday.
HB2221 was sponsored by Del. Kristen Amundson (D-Mount Vernon).
"There seems to be no shortage of ideas on how to restrict a woman's reproductive rights," Amundson said at a recent press conference.
The bill also would have defined birth control as "contraceptive methods approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."
Several democratic delegates and senators backed the bill, along with representatives from Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.
Other bills that would affect abortion are moving through the General Assembly.
HB1883, requiring abortion clinics to be licensed and meet the same requirements as ambulatory surgery centers, passed the Senate Education and Health committee Thursday, after passing the House on Jan. 23.
Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Manassas) sponsored that bill, as well as HB2124, which would ban abortion in Virginia if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
Roe. v. Wade is the landmark decision that prevents states from completely outlawing abortion.
Another bill offered by Marshall, HB2797, would extend "the right to enjoyment of life" guaranteed by Virginia's constitution to born and "pre-born" human beings from the moment of fertilization.
- By Olivia Beatty

Camera shy delegates deny floor broadcasts
RICHMOND, VA. - The House of Delegates intends to keep its doors closed to cameras.
The House Rules Committee this past week tabled three bills that would have broadcast video and audio transmissions of daily House sessions on television and the Internet.
A bill from Del. Chuck Caputo (D-Chantilly) sought TV coverage of House sessions for public or private broadcast.
The committee rolled the other two -- from Del. David Englin (D-Alexandria) and Del. R. Steven Landes (R-Weyers Cave) into one. Both proposed Web casts of House meetings; only Landes' bill called for a one-year trial of the process.
"When you put things on TV, people do tend to talk more because they want everyone back home to think they're running the place," said House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith, (R-Salem).
The House currently provides a closed circuit broadcast of House floor meetings to the Capitol Square buildings in Richmond, but the broadcast does not extend to the public.
The Senate, on the other hand, remains open to public TV and Internet broadcasting.
- By Gayland Hethcoat


Drug Tax dies
RICHMOND, VA. - Virginia will not join more than 20 other states in taxing illegal drugs.
A House finance subcommittee killed HB2754 which proposed the tax commissioner levy tax stamps for Schedule I or II controlled substances (such as cocaine or LSD), marijuana and illegally manufactured alcohol.
The bill's sponsor, Del. Robert Hurt (R-Chatham) stressed that it was a "civil tax imposed upon those who require government services and aren't paying their fair share."
Had it become law, the legislation would have required any person who obtains an illegal substance to pay the tax within 48 hours of possession and then affix the stamps to the substance. The Department of Taxation would not request any identifying information from the taxpayer, thereby preventing an opportunity for criminal prosecution.
"The big picture," Hurt said, is that drug traffickers "put a huge burden on all the rest of us who are law-abiding taxpayers. This is simply to make them share in those costs."
Lennice Werth of Virginians Against Drug Violence opposed Hurt's bill, claiming similar legislation in neighboring states like North Carolina has the public and even law enforcement officials believing that once-illegal substances are now legal.
"These stamps would be bought by collectors, they would be put on the Internet, they would be on e-bay, and people all over the country would believe that these drugs are legal in Virginia if you pay this tax," Werth said.
Michael Krawitz, president of the Virginia chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, also condemned the tax proposal, criticizing its failure to address the heart of drug trafficking: substance abuse. The commonwealth would send a mixed message by profiting from criminal activity, he said.
- By Gayland Hethcoat

Committee passes retired teacher health care
RICHMOND, VA. - The Senate Finance Committee unanimously passed a bill this past week to increase health insurance credits for retired teachers.
"Health care costs have skyrocketed over the years and they (retired teachers) need this help," said Sen. Roscoe Reynolds (D-Martinsville) a co-patron of the bill.
The bill is a substitute for one proposed by Sen. Emmett W. Hanger Jr. (R-Mount Solon). The substitute bill also combines four other Senate bills from Reynolds, Sen. Russell Potts (R-Winchester), Sen. Jeannemarie Davis (R-Vienna) and Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle, (R-Virginia Beach).
The bills from Hanger, Reynolds, Davis and Potts all sought to increase health insurance credits for retired teachers from $2.50 for each year of service to $4 for each year of service, matching retired state employee benefits.
Stolle's bill demanded improved health care options for retired, disabled teachers.
The bills initially were referred to the Senate Finance Committee, which asked its staff to create one bill combining the best aspects from the five pieces of legislation. The combination was rolled into Hanger's substitute with the four other senators listed as co-patrons. The revision was then reintroduced to the committee.
The substitute both raises health insurance credit eligibility and eliminates credit caps. Disabled retirees will receive a credit of $4 multiplied by either twice their years of service or the years of service completed if they remained employed at the age of 60, whichever amount is smaller.
This legislation will cost approximately $30.6 million; $12 million from Virginia's general fund and $18.6 from localities for the fiscal year 2008.
Claudia Fetters, former Fairfax County high school teacher and VEA member said her greatest expense, aside from mortgage, is health care. She said she supports any legislation that will ease her expenditures.
"My retirement is not all that generous," Fetters said. "Basically my concern is that if state employees get $4 per year of service then I should get $4 per year of service."
- By Lisa Chun


Election auditing good enough
RICHMOND, VA. - An effort to make election spending more transparent died in the House Appropriations' General Government and Technology Subcommittee this past week.
The bill's patron, Del. James Scott (D-Merrifield) said his proposal would have reviewed the spending practices of all the statewide offices.
"Virginia is a disclosure state and we have been very proud of that," Scott said, "The next step is to have some kind of review of the campaign reports."
HB2996 would have compelled the State Board of Elections to review the financial reports of every candidate for statewide election for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
The bill also would have required candidate reviews, including primary candidates, for 10 randomly selected House races every two years and four Senate races every four years.
Chris Piper, an administrator with the SBE, said the purpose of the bill was to allow auditors to match bank account statements with financial reports of candidates who had received more than $25,000 in contributions.
Subcommittee chairman Del. Leo Wardrup Jr. (R-Virginia Beach) questioned whether the bill might be fixing a problem with election finance reporting that does not exist.
"What you're asking for here is even more (oversight) than at the federal level," Wardrup said. "I do applaud [Scott's] effort for total veracity in election reporting, but we are close to 100 percent right now."
- By Jack Lavelle

Local officials voice concern over transportation package
RICHMOND, VA. - Dozens of Northern Virginia's local government officials met in the state capital to express concern over the recent GOP transportation plan.
That proposal died in the Senate, but legislators are still working to find a transportation solution.
"We applaud the fact that the General Assembly is taking transportation very seriously and is working towards a comprehensive solution," said Martin Nohe, a member of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. "But we have some grave concerns about the direction some of those solutions may be going."
One point in the plan Northern Virginia representatives found troublesome is that it required localities to pay for improvements by raising taxes.
Gerry Connelly, chairman of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors, said he does not want local taxpayers, already providing the bulk of Virginia's tax income, to carry the entire financial burden.
The joint meeting included representatives of the Northern Virginia Regional Council, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. There, local officials agreed transportation has reached a critical status.
"We are a growing and dynamic jurisdiction, and we need help," said Scott York, chairman of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.
York said the county is willing to work toward a solution.
"(But the county) can ill afford to be the ones to bare the brunt of coming up with that solution," York said.
Del. Vincent Callahan (R-Fairfax) said Virginia's strong bond rating should allow the state to borrow enough money to alleviate the strain on taxpayers.
"We can issue bonds now for $950 million a year, for the next 10 years, without negatively impacting our self-imposed 5 percent bonding limit," Callahan said. "The only reason we have a triple 'A' bond rating is to borrow money."
- By Andrew Perkinson

Bill screens tanning industry
RICHMOND, VA. - Teenage tanning is under attack in Virginia, as a proposed bill aims to place restrictions on teen access to facilities.
The bill, SB1231, would require any person under 18 to have a parent or legal guardian with them every time they use a tanning machine. The proposed law also would ban anyone under 14 from using the machines unless they have written authorization from a doctor.
Paige Anderson, 18, said she and her friends often used tanning salons without their parents' permission before they were 18, and she understands the reasoning for the proposed restrictions.
"I had one friend who actually ended up with third-degree burns after she tanned twice in one day," Anderson said. "I think a lot of kids don't realize it can be dangerous."
In addition to age restrictions, the proposal also requires all customers to sign a statement acknowledging the dangers of mechanical tanning before using the machines.
Many tanning salons already have similar restrictions in place, but the bill would force all salons to implement the changes.
Connie M. Houston, an aide to the bill's sponsor, Sen. Janet Howell (D-Reston) said the proposal originated from conversations between Howell and dermatologists.
The bill recently was approved by the Senate Education and Health Committee, and it is currently awaiting a vote from the full Senate.
- By David Belian


Mandatory license suspensions for providing alcohol to minors
RICHMOND, VA. - Adults who furnish minors with alcohol will have their driver's licenses suspended for at least six months if a bill before the House passes.
Under HB 2860, an adult would be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if he or she knows or believes an individual is not 21 and still provides them with alcohol.
The patron of the bill, Del. Brian Moran (D-Alexandria) suggests suspending licenses as a necessary measure to reduce the incidents of adults supplying minors with alcohol.
"By taking people's licenses away, we'll get their attention," Moran said, "If a driver's license is so important to folks, if they violate the law, we'll suspend it."
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles' Web site states that under current law, offenders face fines up to $2,500, up to 12 months in jail and mandatory suspension of a driver's license for up to one year.
Moran wants to toughen the law because he believes current sentencing guidelines are subject to loose interpretation.
"Up to one year' can mean one day in jail," he said. "Some judges are reluctant to put people in jail, so the license suspension is what is being emphasized."
Moran said he decided to introduce the legislation after being approached by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and parents of college-age children who were concerned about the increased use of alcohol among minors.
- By Stephen A. Hicks

Bill expands state's anti-discrimination policy
RICHMOND, VA. - State employers will be forbidden from discriminating against people based on sexual orientation if a proposed Senate bill is passed.
The Code of Virginia currently grants hearings for discrimination based on race, color, religion, political affiliation, age, disability, national origin or gender. Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis is patron of SB 820, which would add sexual orientation to that list.
"I think that as a public employer, it's very important that we open our doors for anyone who qualifies for any job and their hiring should be based on their ability to do the job and their qualifications only," Devolites Davis said.
According to Devolites Davis, Gov. Tim Kaine and former Gov. Mark Warner passed executive orders reflecting the bill's exact policy. However, Devolites Davis said the bill, if passed, will change state statute and governors will not have to continually pass such orders as they enter office.
While the bill protects multiple personal factors for employees, the sexuality aspect has been the focus of gay rights advocates and conservative organizations.
The bill defines sexual orientation as "a person's actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality, or gender identity or expression. 'Sexual orientation' does not include sexually deviant disorders (paraphilias) as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders."
Concerned Women for America of Virginia oppose the bill because they said it raises several doubts. The organization's information handouts state this bill will set a precedence of condoning illegal activities including sexually molesting children and bestiality.
The organization is concerned this bill might create conflicts such as forcing state agencies to partake in gay pride parades or requiring employees to undergo sensitivity training regardless of personal beliefs.
Michelle Newman, interim state director of CWA Virginia, agrees that sexual orientation is not an employment issue, but she said this bill grants sexual orientation special legal protection.
"I don't see the need for the law," Newman said. "It (sexual orientation) shouldn't be an issue, and by adding it specifically into the Code of Virginia they're making it an issue."
Dyana Mason, executive director of the gay rights organization Equality Virginia, said the bill protects its opponents as well as its supporters by protecting everyone's sexual orientation. Mason also dismissed CWA's concerns over the bill's possible results, such as illegal activities, gay pride participation and sensitivity training.
"They seem like ridiculous arguments to me, that are red herrings designed to scare people," Mason said.
According to Mason, Equality Virginia was one of the parties that encouraged Devolites Davis to create this bill. Devolites Davis said the bill's support is not limited to gay rights advocates though.
"Quite honestly, I think that most of the citizens in Virginia support this and that's the biggest advocacy group," - Devolites Davis said.
- By Lisa Chun

Virginia War Memorial to add educational wing
RICHMOND, VA. - The Virginia War Memorial hopes to expand its already existing building by adding an educational wing. The idea comes through two bills proposed in the General Assembly this session.
The bills ask for a $3.5 million loan from the state treasury to be granted for the educational construction and calls for the memorial to raise $2 million in private funds.
Del. M. Kirkland Cox (R-Colonial Heights) is the chief patron of HB2240. Cox's legislative assistant, Bill Flanagan, says with recent souring interest in the educational programs at the War Memorial, the bill could not have come at a better time.
According to Flanagan, the total cost will be about $6 million. The memorial already has about $500,000, so if the loan is approved, they'd only have to come up with $2 million.
Del. Frank D. Hargrove Sr. (R-Glen Allen) is one of the co-patrons of Cox's bill. Hargrove is also the chairman of the board of trustees that governs the Virginia War Memorial.
"It's been one of my joys. Ten years ago the War Memorial was in terrible condition, it was neglected," Hargrove said. "Thanks to the diligence and hard work of many, it has become a living monument to those Virginia service men and women who gave their lives to protect their freedom."
Despite the publicity, not many people visit the Virginia War Memorial, according to Hargrove. He hopes the new addition would raise the public interest in American history.
"We want to teach patriotism," Hargrove said. "A country that lacks patriotism very quickly looses its strength."
- By Nadiya Abraham

Dumping trash may cost time, money and privileges
RICHMOND, VA. - Throwing objects out of car windows and onto the streets now might cost the driver his or her license.
The effort to put a halt on the highway littering problem was introduced in a bill, HB1842, sponsored by Del. Terry Kilgore (R-Gate City). The proposal passed the House Committee on Transportation and was referred to the Committee for Courts of Justice.
If passed, the legislation could suspend violators' driving privileges for up to 12 months as well as assigning them 250 hours of community service with duties such as cleaning up litter on roadways.
Programs such as Adopt-a-Highway, funded by VDOT, are making efforts to clean up the streets, but cannot prevent litterbugs from piling trash to the roads.
According to VDOT, cigarette butts and other tobacco-related products are the leading amounts of trash found along the highway, followed by the amount of refuse from the fast food industry - such as paper cups, straws and product packaging.
- By Diana Han

Bills aim to combat rising housing costs
RICHMOND, VA. - Several proposed bills seek to establish a Virginia Housing Trust Fund to combat Virginia's housing costs, which are the sixth highest in the nation.
According to the Virginia Housing Coalition, the median house value in Virginia rose 69 percent between 2000 and 2005, while the median household income only increased 16 percent in the same time period.
"There's been a 72 percent increase in the past five years in families spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing," said Robert Adams, chair of the VHC policy committee.
Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, (D-Arlington) and Del. Terrie Suit (R-Virginia Beach) are sponsoring the bills. Neither legislator was able to attend the scheduled press conference to discuss the fund.
Adams said Northern Virginia has been leading the state in terms of housing and income disparities. The national standard housing budget is 30 percent of total income.
"Affordable housing is part of the solution to the question of transportation," Adams said. "Affordable housing is being pushed further out, creating a longer commute. Some workers in NOVA (Northern Virginia) live in West Virginia."
Virginia is one of 13 states in the nation without a dedicated source of state-provided funding supporting local housing projects in low- and moderate-income areas.
HB1825 and SB967 ask that 25 percent of the money transferred to the fund each year be used by the department to provide matching funds to localities that have local housing funds.
The House bill requests that 50 percent of the annual revenue collected by state recordation taxes in excess of the official tax estimates be dedicated to the trust fund. This bill is being considered by the House Commerce, Agriculture and Natural Resources subcommittee.
"The gap between wages and housing costs has to be addressed," said Thaler McCormick, president of the Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness. "An affordable housing trust fund is a long-term piece of the puzzle, but it will take years for things to be put into place." VCEH is pushing for legislation on rental assistance and raising the minimum wage, in an effort to treat housing issues in the short-term.
In 2006, Suit presented the same trust fund bill. It passed the House, but the legislation was tabled in the Senate Finance Committee.
Independent research company Brooks Adams Research conducted a survey of several hundred Virginians across the state in November 2006. The company reported housing and health care had the greatest impact on the cost of living.
- By Olivia Beatty





©Times Community Newspapers 2007

((Outreach chairman for the Culmore United Methodist Church in Falls Church, Dave Ransom attended the protest in response to the effect the proposed legislation would have on the church's charity.
"We give out food. We don't ask people if they are legal or illegal in the country," Ransom said. "Some of the legislation would make us felons if we give to undocumented, hungry people." ))

Feeding the trolls is what keeps them coming.