Mark Herring, Virginia State Senator

Leesburg, VA – Senator Mark Herring (D-Loudoun and Fairfax) today released the following statement in reaction to an Albemarle County judge’s decision to dismiss Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s subpoena for records related to the research activities of former University of Virginia professor Dr. Michael Mann:

“I am extremely pleased by the judge’s decision to dismiss Mr. Cuccinelli’s subpoena and recognize it for what it was – a political ploy. His clear abuse of power and ideological crusade is an embarrassment to Virginia and a waste of taxpayer money at a time when families all around Virginia are worried about just getting by in this tough economy. Mr. Cuccinelli should immediately disclose just how much taxpayer dollars were spent in this misguided effort.”

“Mr. Cuccinelli’s continued pursuit of his own radical agenda jeopardizes our efforts to attract the best scientists and researchers to our highly regarded colleges and universities, as well as our work to promote advanced technology industry locating in the Commonwealth.”

“Virginians demand and expect an Attorney General who can provide objective legal counsel. There is no doubt that Mr. Cuccinelli’s actions are motivated by his own political agenda, and not by what is in the best interests of Virginia families. I am disappointed that the AG’s office intends to pursue this matter further and I strongly urge them to reconsider this position and get on with the people’s business.”

Dear Neighbor-

It is hard to believe that it is now August, that many of our children will be back in school this month, and that football season is upon us! I hope that everyone is having an enjoyable summer.

The severe thunderstorms we have had in recent weeks caused many in our area to lose power. In the days following such storms, I work closely with officials from Dominion Virginia Power to inform them of any outages that I learn about, and see to it that power is restored in timely manner. If you ever need to report an outage, Dominion’s customer service line is (866) 366-4357.

Here is a brief recap of some of my activities in June and July:

Around The District

In June, I had the pleasure of being the keynote speaker at a meeting of the Loudoun County Science and Technology Cabinet. The group met to discuss ways to develop Loudoun County and our region into a global center for science and technology. The promotion of science and technology based economic development has been an important part of my work in the Senate.

You can read an article from the Loudoun Times-Mirror about my remarks here.

In July, I spoke at a meeting of the Northern Virginia Aging Network (NVAN) about issues affecting seniors in our community. One of the issues I spoke about was my continued work on creating tougher penalties for those who financially abuse incapacitated or elder adults. My bill cleared the Senate Courts of Justice Committee this year, but was left in the Finance Committee to be reconsidered next session. I also spoke about the good work of the Northern Virginia Fall Prevention Coalition (NVFPC) to bring attention to the need to implement “Preventing Falls” programs in our communities here in Northern Virginia.

Virginia Again Named Best State For Business

August is off to a great start with the news that Virginia has been named the “most pro-business state” in America for the second year in a row according to the Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States for 2010 rankings.

Pollina counted Virginia among the states that serve as a model for the rest of the country in job retention and creation. Working together with Governor McDonnell, my colleagues in the General Assembly, and the business community, we passed a robust package of economic development incentives this year, which are being used to create jobs for Virginians in our region and around the Commonwealth. To read more about this achievement, click here.

As always, representing you in the General Assembly is an honor and a privilege. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything I can ever do for you. The telephone number for my district office in Leesburg is 703-729-3300. You can also contact me by email at senator@markherring.org.

Sincerely,

Mark Herring

Today, most of the legislation passed by the General Assembly during the 2010 Session and signed into law by the Governor take effect. The Division of Legislative Services produces an annual publication entitled “In Due Course” which provides a brief summary of legislation passed by the General Assembly that is of interest to the citizens of Virginia and is likely to impact their daily lives.

Click here to download a copy of In Due Course.

Similarly, the Department of Motor Vehicles has created a special page on their website which outlines several transportation-related laws that take effect today that will impact Virginia drivers.

Click here to navigate to the DMV website.

I hope you will find this information helpful, and please do not hesitate to contact me for more information about the new laws going into effect today in Virginia.

Leesburg, VA – Senator Mark Herring (D-Loudoun and Fairfax) released the following statement today applauding the University of Virginia’s decision to challenge Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s subpoena for information on former University of Virginia climate science professor Dr. Michael Mann’s research while at the university:

“I applaud UVA’s decision to stand up to Mr. Cuccinelli’s abuse of power,” Herring said. “I agree with the university that this subpoena exceeds the Attorney General’s authority and dangerously undermines academic freedom.”

“Mr. Cuccinelli’s action was clearly motivated by a personal political agenda and sets a dangerous precedent of politicians investigating professors whose findings they disagree with. It is long past time for our Attorney General to stop wasting Virginians’ time and money bolstering his political platform and instead focus on the real business of the office to which he was elected.”

Senator Herring is a practicing attorney in Leesburg and a University of Virginia alumnus.

Leesburg, VA – Senator Mark Herring (D-Loudoun and Fairfax) today raised serious concerns about the actions of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in issuing a civil subpoena for information on former University of Virginia climate science professor Dr. Michael Mann’s research while at the university.

“On its face this seems to be a serious abuse of the power of the Attorney General,” Herring said. “This is Virginia, since when do we investigate professors when we disagree with them?”

“What would the founder of the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, think of a government official using the powers of his office to investigate a teacher whose views the official disagrees with?”

“What is clear from Mr. Cuccinelli’s own words is that long before he took the oath office Mr. Cuccinelli had closed his mind to Dr. Mann and other scientists who are concerned about climate change. And in Virginia, Mr. Cuccinelli has a right to a closed mind, but what he doesn’t have the right to do is impose his conclusions on scientists who disagree with him. It’s wrong, it’s an abuse of power and its dangerous.”

“And it is, in these tough times a terrible waste of time and effort better spent on the real business of the office of Attorney General.”

“This action will jeopardize Virginia’s ability to attract scientists and researchers to our prestigious universities for fear that they will be investigated when the Attorney General disagrees with their findings, not to mention our ability to promote advanced technology industry locating in the Commonwealth.”

Senator Herring is a practicing attorney in Leesburg and a University of Virginia alumnus.

Senator Mark Herring (D-Loudoun and Fairfax) released the following statement this afternoon regarding Northrop Grumman’s announcement that they will relocate their corporate headquarters to Virginia:

“I am extremely pleased that Northrop Grumman has chosen to relocate its corporate headquarters to Northern Virginia. Choosing Virginia over our neighbors, Washington, D.C. and Maryland, is a testament to the strong business climate that we have built in the Commonwealth over the past ten years. I applaud the Administration for their efforts, and I will continue to work in the General Assembly to support robust economic development initiatives and to attract high-quality science and technology based jobs to our region and our state.”

Dear Neighbor,

Last night, the General Assembly concluded its 2010 Regular Session.  Like most states, Virginia continues to confront its most difficult budget challenge in memory due to the national economy.

Facing the largest revenue decline in Virginia history, the General Assembly adopted a lean and balanced budget that cut billions in spending and that had no general tax increases.  State spending has now been reduced to 2006 levels.

At the same time, I worked with my colleagues in the legislature to minimize the impact of budget cuts to core priorities, such as education, public safety and health care services to those who are most vulnerable.

Here are some highlights of my work on your behalf this session:

Reversing the LCI Freeze

One of my top priorities was to reverse the LCI freeze.  Delay in recalculating the local composite index, the formula that determines how much state education funding is distributed to each locality, would have cost Loudoun County $35 million and Fairfax $61 million.  I am pleased my budget amendment to restore this funding was adopted by the Senate and included in the final budget.

Legislation

Of the 17 bills I introduced this Session, 10 of them passed both the Senate and House of Delegates and will now make their way to the Governor’s desk for his signature. Most of these measures passed with strong bipartisan support. You can log on to the General Assembly’s website for detailed look at all of the legislation I carried this year. Here are a few highlights:

The State Government Spending Accountability Act- SB 431

I have been a strong proponent of common sense measures that promote transparency and accountability in government. During tough economic times such as these, government must strive to live within its means just like hard-working Virginians and their families must do. Citizens of the Commonwealth are entitled to know where their tax dollars are being spent, and what the government is spending money on.

This legislation requires state agencies to place their check register on their agency’s website. It also directs the Auditor of Public Accounts to conduct a review of Commonwealth Data Point, the state’s online database for expenditure and revenue information, and to incorporate best practices used by other states to make the site more user-friendly and improve transparency of state agency expenditures. There are common sense actions the state can take to ensure your tax dollars are spent wisely.

The Virginia Innovation Investment Act- SB 428

Promoting technology-based economic development and job creation have been among my top legislative priorities as your State Senator. Encouraging the investment of new capital in Virginia will lead to the creation of high-quality, high-paying jobs. This legislation provides a targeted, long-term capital gains tax exclusion for new investment in science and technology start-up companies in Virginia if the investment is made in the next three years.

As always, representing you in the General Assembly is an honor and a privilege. I welcome your input, so please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything I can ever do for you. The telephone number for my district office in Leesburg is 703-729-3300. You can also contact me by email at senator@markherring.org. If you are on Facebook, you can receive updates on my page which can be found at www.facebook.com/markherring33 and please remember to visit my newly redesigned website, www.markherring.org.

Sincerely,

Mark

Richmond, VA – Today, Senator Mark Herring (D-Loudoun and Fairfax) released the following statement regarding Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s recent opinion that public colleges and universities in Virginia cannot include “sexual orientation” in their nondiscrimination policies:

In recent weeks, Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has been making headlines for the wrong reasons.  Most recently, it has been revealed that Cuccinelli sent a letter to state college presidents and other officials advising them that they do not have the authority to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. Cuccinelli’s statement would give the green light to firing professors and denying admission to applicants for no other reason than their sexual orientation.

Discrimination is unacceptable, period, and it certainly should not be permitted in employment and admissions at public colleges and universities in Virginia.

Cuccinelli’s letter is reprehensible. It not only threatens the quality and competitiveness of Virginia’s higher education system, it severely damages the progress Virginia has made in recent years to embrace diversity and become the best place in America for business. By not repudiating his statement, Governor McDonnell has made it clear that his administration is content with turning the clock back on civil rights.

This distraction comes at a time when the General Assembly is facing its toughest budget process in years, with painful cuts due to an unprecedented decline in state revenues. Instead of focusing on fixing our economic problems, the Attorney General and the McDonnell Administration seem to be intent on scoring political points with their base. This is not the sort of problem-solving, pragmatic leadership Virginians were promised during last fall’s campaign.

Attorney General Cuccinelli’s letter is an embarrassment to our Commonwealth. His position and Governor McDonnell’s tacit support of it are moving Virginia out of the mainstream and into the political fringe.

Dear Neighbor,

The 2010 General Assembly Session has just passed the halfway point, and I would like to take this opportunity to get you up to speed about what is happening in the State Capitol.

I also invite you to visit my newly redesigned and enhanced website at www.markherring.org. The website provides more tools for you to stay directly connected and allows for improved communication about the work I am doing on your behalf.

Budget Action
This has been, and will continue to be, a very challenging Session given the difficult fiscal situation we find ourselves in. Like most states, Virginia is facing unprecedented revenue declines due to the national economy. I will continue to work toward balancing the Commonwealth’s budget which will mean tightening our belts further and making difficult choices.

Opposing the Education Funding Freeze
An important component of the budget I have been working hard to change is the proposed freeze on the scheduled recalculation of the Local Composite Index (LCI). The LCI is the formula that determines how much state education funding is distributed to each locality.  This formula is recalculated every two years based on the most recent data relating to local property valuations, income and other factors.

The Governor’s introduced budget, however, would delay the scheduled recalculation for one year, preventing Loudoun and Fairfax from receiving additional funding.  Delaying the reformulation would cost Loudoun County $35 million (about 7 cents on the real estate tax rate) and Fairfax County $61 million (approximately 3 cents on the real estate tax rate).

I have been very vocal in my opposition to this proposed freeze and began to organize opposition before the session began.  I spoke out against this plan on the Senate Floor, introduced a budget amendment to reverse the freeze, and continue to press the Senate Finance Committee on the issue. In recent days, Governor McDonnell has lent his support to our effort, but ultimately the General Assembly must take action. The Senate Finance Committee is expected to release the Senate’s proposed budget in the next couple of days, and I am hopeful my amendment to reverse this unfair burden on Loudoun and Fairfax taxpayers will be approved.

Introduced Legislation
Additionally, I have introduced 17 bills this Session, and am pleased to report that 12 of them have passed the Senate and are working their way through the House of Delegates. Most of these measures have enjoyed strong bipartisan support. You can log on to the General Assembly’s website for a detailed look at all of the legislation I am carrying. Here are a few highlights:

The State Government Spending Accountability Act, SB 431
I have been a strong proponent of common sense measures that promote transparency and accountability in government. That is why I introduced the State Government Spending Accountability Act. During tough economic times such as these, government must strive to live within its means just like hard-working Virginians and their families must do. Citizens of the Commonwealth ought to be entitled to information about where their tax dollars are being spent, how much is being spent, and what the government is spending money on.

The legislation requires state agencies to place their check register on their agency’s website. It also directs the Auditor of Public Accounts to conduct a review of Commonwealth Data Point, the state’s online database for expenditure and revenue information, and to incorporate best practices used by other states to make the site more user-friendly and improve transparency of state agency expenditures.  These are common sense actions the state can take to ensure your tax dollars are spent wisely.

The Virginia Innovation Investment Act, SB 428
Promoting technology-based economic development and job creation have been my top legislative priorities as your State Senator. Encouraging the investment of new capital in Virginia will lead to the creation of high-quality, high-paying jobs and that is why I introduced the Virginia Innovation Investment Act.  This legislation provides a targeted, long-term capital gains tax exclusion for new investment in science and technology start-up companies in Virginia if the investment is made in the next three years.

I was honored when Governor McDonnell specifically mentioned this piece of legislation in his State of the Commonwealth Address. It recently passed the Senate and is moving on to the House of Delegates.

As always, representing you in the General Assembly is an honor and a privilege. I welcome your input, so please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything I can ever do for you. My telephone number in Richmond during the Legislative Session is 804-698-7533.You can also contact me by email at district33@senate.virginia.gov. If you are on Facebook, you can receive updates on my page which can be found at www.facebook.com/markherring33 and please remember to visit my newly designed website, www.markherring.org

Sincerely,

Mark

Welcome to my brand-new website.  I will use the “Senate Notebook” to communicate with you directly about my thoughts on the issues facing our area and the work I am doing as your State Senator.

As your representative, I work for you, and it is important that the lines of communication are always open. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you. You can find my contact information on the “Contact” page. Please take the opportunity to sign-up to receive periodic e-mail updates from me, and if you have a Facebook page, please become a fan of my page so we can stay better connected.

I hope that you will find this new site to be informative and user-friendly. I welcome any suggestions as to how it can be improved.