Dear Friend,
Autumn is setting in across the 33rd Senate District. I hope all of you are enjoying the Fall colors, hunting for the perfect pumpkin, and your children being back in school.
Fall also means that it is once again election season in Virginia. I encourage all of you to get out and vote this coming Tuesday, November 2nd. If you are unsure of where to vote, check the Virginia State Board of Elections website to find your polling location.
In addition to the 10th Congressional District race, there are also three proposed amendments to Virginia’s Constitution on the ballot. All three of these measures passed unanimously in the General Assembly. For a summary of the proposed amendments, click here.
In Loudoun, there is also one school bond referendum on the ballot. As Loudoun County Public Schools has been one of the fastest-growing school systems in American for more than a decade, the question asks whether to approve the construction of a new Leesburg Area Elementary School. The new school will help to meet our long-term enrollment needs and I will be voting in favor of the measure.
ABC Update
Thanks to so many of you who submitted your feedback on my Letter to the Editor opposing Governor McDonnell’s proposal to privatize Virginia’s liquor stores.
The Governor has recognized that while many legislators, including myself, are open to the concept of privatization, his proposal is going to need a lot more work before it is acceptable for passage. Recently, he announced that he would not be calling a Special Session this year to take up ABC privatization.
Route 7 Task Force
Aside from the economy, transportation is the most pressing issue we face here in the 33rd District and in Northern Virginia. While a statewide transportation funding solution remains an elusive goal, we have had success in the past, locally, when we have identified our most pressing infrastructure needs and worked together to get projects off the shelf and underway.
Recently, I formed a Route 7 Task Force comprised of fifteen business and community leaders that will explore solutions aimed at alleviating congestion along the Route 7 corridor between the Town of Leesburg and the Fairfax/Loudoun border.
At our first meeting, the Task Force identified two projects critical to alleviating traffic congestion along the corridor: the construction of a planned interchange at Route 7 and Belmont Ridge Road, and the construction of the Sycolin Road overpass. As a result, I have sent a letter to Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton requesting available state funds for these projects. You can read my full letter to Secretary Connaughton here.
You can read more about the Task Force and the important work we are doing here, here, and 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
