An End of Session Letter from Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn

Dear 41st District residents,

I returned to the 41st District when the 2011 General Assembly session adjourned on Sunday, February 27. During this legislative session, the General Assembly faced many challenges including making amendments to the states’ biennial budget, funding transportation, and restoring dramatic cuts to education that have been made over the last few years. Major legislative steps taken in Richmond include:

• Education - Our investment in education is not only essential for the future of our children, but also ensures the ultimate economic success of the Commonwealth. Funding for public schools, colleges, and universities has been significantly reduced in recent years.  In accordance with my determination to support our children's educational opportunities throughout the session, I stood up on the House floor to speak against any further reductions in education spending.  In addition, I was also pleased to co-patron the Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011. This Act will increase in-state acceptances while also rewarding our colleges and universities for granting degrees in science, technology, engineering and math  (STEM).
• FY 2010-2011 Budget- For the first time in recent memory, the House of Delegates unanimously passed the conference report to HB 1500, which amended the biennial budget for the Commonwealth. I voted against the original proposed amendments to the budget which called for further spending cuts in education.  However, I cast my vote in favor of the final conference report, as it not only restored those previous budget reductions but also included an additional $4.1 million for Fairfax County Schools. Other significant features of the approved budget included the restoration of funds for our public safety services, establishing a $30 million trust fund to support the disabled in our communities, and providing funding for transportation without withdrawing essential resources from the state's general fund.
  Our Commonwealth, our county and local governments are currently facing challenging times, but the revised plan achieves a balanced budget while maintaining a high quality of life for all Virginians. Accordingly, I supported this version of the budget.

• Public Safety- I participated in a bi-partisan effort to have the General Assembly classify synthetic marijuana as a controlled substance. I introduced this bill at the request of concerned parents after incidents in which Fairfax County students ingested these potentially dangerous substances, often with serious consequences. In addition, I am pleased that we were able to restore some of the previous cuts to public safety, helping our public safety officials protect our families and community.
• Transportation- This year, I introduced a bill to change the current transportation maintenance formula, from one based upon an outdated standard, to one reflecting the actual scientifically-determined conditions of the roads, bridges, tunnels and rails. Although Northern Virginia contains 25% of the state's population, we only receive 14% of the funds for road maintenance. The new standard in this bill would have ensured that funding goes to those areas that need it. While this bill was successful in the House of Delegates, it was defeated in the State Senate.
  The General Assembly also took a first step in helping to repair our broken transportation system and bring some congestion relief to the Commonwealth. While we were not able to agree on a long-term, sustainable funding stream we did provide additional revenue for transportation without raising taxes or hurting education.

• Economic recovery - I supported the Governor’s proposals to provide tax credits and financial incentives to new and expanding businesses able to create additional jobs. We have begun to see signs of economic improvement, but we must continue to make wise decisions, hold the line on spending, and support those companies and businesses that are investing back in the Commonwealth.

• Economic recovery - I supported the Governor’s proposals to provide tax credits and financial incentives to new and expanding businesses able to create additional jobs. We have begun to see signs of economic improvement, but we must continue to make wise decisions, hold the line on spending, and support those companies and businesses that are investing back in the Commonwealth.
• The Disabilities Community – This year, I introduced a bill to establish a third-party trust for disabled individuals, allowing tax deductions while investing in their future care. While this bill was not passed during the current session, it has now been submitted to the Disabilities Commission for further study.  I look forward to receiving the Commission's comments and recommendations, and plan to reintroduce this important legislation in the 2012 General Assembly session. 

 This past legislative session, I was also honored to serve as co-patron of the bill to provide health insurance coverage for children with autism spectrum disorder ages 2-6. This piece of legislation approved by both chambers of the General Assembly and has been sent to the Governor for his signature.

 I invite you to review all of the bills I introduced and all of the legislation the GA voted on during the 2011 session by visiting http://leg1.state.va.us/. I also encourage you to visit my website, www.EileenFillerCorn.com, where you can find information about my legislative priorities and ongoing work for our community and the Commonwealth. Please also join my e-mail list to receive bi-monthly newsletters with updates about events around the district, Community Hours, town hall meetings, Virtual Office Hours, and other information for our community. You can also follow my activities in the legislature and in the 41st District through my Facebook page at Eileen Filler-Corn for Delegate.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.  I am always available to meet personally to discuss any issue or answer any questions you have. I can be reached directly by e-mail at Eileen@EileenFillerCorn.com or by phone at (571) 249-3453.

I will return to Richmond on April 4 for the special session on redistricting and the reconvene session that commences on April 6.

I appreciate the opportunity you have afforded me to represent the 41st district in Richmond. I look forward to seeing you out and about the 41st District.

Sincerely yours,

 Eileen Filler-Corn