When voters sent an equally divided Senate to the capital, we knew that there would be moments of tension. One such moment occurred last week, when we took up the constitutional requirement that we elect judges. Prior to convening session for the day, we had reached an agreement that the Senate would first vote to re-elect all incumbent judges, and later on the election of two first-time nominees. We had expected to see that arrangement honored, and were surprised to find instead all of the judges before us--incubent and new alike. 

Having previously outlined his interpretation of the constitutional powers of the Lieutenant Governor in a memo, Mr. Bolling could not vote to break the ensuing 20-20 tie that resulted, and we found ourselves in a stalemate.  In his State of the Commonwealth address to the residents of Virginia, Gov. Bob McDonnell warned of the consequences of overreach; what we saw on Tuesday was just that. After two days of discussion and debate, the two new judges' names were removed from consideration, and we were able to get back to the business of the people. This situation is almost certain to arise again, however, and it is my sincere hope that  members from both sides of the aisle will be able to find compromise and avoid another standoff. 

Because of all your hard work, our campaign was victorious on Tuesday with 53% of the vote.  We won the majority of votes in Alexandria and Fairfax and came very close to winning in Prince William -- an incredible result all around.

I am honored to be able to serve the 39th District again in Richmond.  I promise to continue listening, and to continue getting things done on a wide variety of issues for Northern Virginia.  If you have any ideas for potential legislation, please send them my way before the next legislative session begins in January.  Some of the best ideas for my bills have originated from constituents.

Lastly, I would like to thank my incredible staff and the volunteers who donated time, money, support, and energy for their hand in this victory.  I truly could not have done it without you.

I look forward to working with you for the next four years.

Election Day is here!  Polls are open from 6am to 7pm.  Click here (site: http://tinyurl.com/VoteVA11) to double-check your polling place in case it may have changed.  And of course, thanks so much for your support, and your vote.

If you need a ride to the polls or have any questions about voting, please give us a call at (703) 303-1426.

This morning, I was proud to be endorsed by the Washington Post for re-election as a "thoughful moderate."  Here is an excerpt:

In the upper house of Virginia’s General Assembly, Senate Democrats have been the grown-ups in Richmond.  The role was forced on them by House Republicans, who have sent over waves of reckless legislation.

George L. Barker, a bright health-care expert who is the Democratic incumbent, is the clear pick for two reasons.  First, he has been heavily involved in local and community issues for years.  Second, he is one of the more effective, pragmatic lawmakers in Richmond, with a proven record of pushing through bills to lure firms to Northern Virginia and extend tax relief to the elderly and disabled people.

You can read the full endorsement over here.

Check out my new TV ad, describing my bipartisan work in the legislature and the 20 bills I got passed this year:

Over the past few weeks, I have spoken with many of you about conditions following Tropical Storm Lee.  I have been working with other elected officials and community leaders to ensure that we get everything back to normal as soon as possible.  To that end, I wanted to share an update on the Lorton Road Bridge over Giles Run, which collapsed during in the storm.

As those in the area know, Lorton Road is a major artery for thousands of commuters each day.  A temporary structure will be in place by late October, and a permanent replacement will be constructed as part of the relocation of Lorton Road in 2013.  My staff and I have talked with VDOT, and they've assured us they'll do what they can to expedite the construction of the temporary structure.

If you won't be able to make it to the polls on November 8th because of school, work, or another qualified reason, you're in luck:  In-person absentee voting (a.k.a early voting) starts today, September 23rd, at select locations.  Please make a point to vote early between now and Saturday, November 5th, at one of these spots:

Alexandria: 
132 North Royal Street, Ste. 100 (map)

Fairfax:
County Govt. Center:  12000 Govt. Center Pkwy, Ste. 323, Fairfax (map)
Lee District (beginning Oct. 24th):  6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria (map)
Mt. Vernon District (beginning Oct. 24th):  2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria (map)
Springfield District (beginning Oct. 24th):  6140 Rolling Road, Springfield (map)

Prince William:
Manassas:  9250 Lee Ave, Ste. 1 (map)
Woodbridge:  DMV at 2731 Caton Hill Road (map)

Don't have the time to vote early?  Click here to download an absentee ballot request form so you can vote by mail.  You can request one until November 1st.

For those whose commute and workday is 11 hours or longer, who will be out of town because of work or school, or who can't get to the polls because of a medical or health reason, early/absentee voting is for you.  Please feel free to call our campaign office at (703) 663-8001 if you have any questions.  

When talking with constituents at their doors or at events in the community, one of the most frequent concerns I hear about is school funding.  Northern Virginia's public schools are among the best in the nation, and I know many here take pride in the scholarship, college preparation, athletic programs, and after-school activities our schools provide.

About 46% of all general-fund tax dollars goes to education.  It is by far our largest state expenditure, with other major outlays including health and human services (24%) and police and firefighters (11%).

While all state agencies faced cutbacks due to the economic downturn, I was proud to help save hundreds of millions of dollars in proposed cuts to schools.  The House of Delegates' plan to cut $700 million from schools was negotiated down to less than $200 million by the Senate.  I also stood up on the Senate floor in 2010 to demand the state give Northern Virginia's schools what was owed under the current funding formula.  Other members from our region joined me in beating back a proposal to adjust it unfavorably.

So where does the money in our state's general fund come from?  66% of it, or roughly $20 billion, comes from the state income tax.  Another 20.5% comes from the sales tax, while corporate income taxes and other fees (like our ABC store profits) make up the remainder.  Money used for transportation projects comes nearly exclusively from dedicated, transportation-related sources and is stored separately in the state's transportation trust fund, not the general fund.

I believe the Senate has been a careful steward of the Commonwealth's money, and though the economy has not rebounded with the speed many of us had hoped, Virginia ended the most recent fiscal year with $545 million dollars in surplus funds.

With Hurricane Irene heading our way shortly, I wanted to make sure you had key emergency contact numbers and the most current information.

Forecast as of Friday evening:

Saturday:  Chance of showers and thunderstorms.  Cloudy, with a high near 81.  Breezy, with a northeast wind 9 to 12 mph increasing to between 22 and 25 mph.  Winds could gust as high as 36 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 50%.  New rainfall amounts up to a half an inch possible.

Saturday Night:  Tropical storm conditions possible.  Showers and possibly a thunderstorm.  Some storms could produce heavy rainfall.  Low around 68.  North wind 28 to 33 mph, with gusts as high as 47 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 80%.  New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Sunday:  A chance of showers before 2pm.  Cloudy, with a high near 81.  Breezy, with a northwest wind between 18 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 46 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 50%.  New rainfall up to one inch possible.

Sunday Night:  Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Utility contact info:

VDOT:  For road issues, such as downed trees or other obstructions, call 1-800-FOR-ROAD (1-800-367-7623).

Dominion:  In the event that you lose electrical service, call Dominion Power at 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357).

NOVEC:  For those with NOVEC service, call (703) 335-0500. 

Government services:

Statewide:  For the latest statewide emergency information, please visit the Virginia Department of Emergency Management:   

http://www.vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia 

 Fairfax County:  To sign up for Fairfax County's emergency alert system:
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cean/

Prince William County:  For county-specific information, please check the county's website for continual updates:  

http://www.pwcgov.org/  

Alexandria:  For city-specific information, please check the city's website for continual updates:    

http://alexandriava.gov/

My office:  As always, you can reach me at (703) 303-1426 and my staff will answer any questions we can.