Bills on the Burner State Bills Affecting Our Freedom Legislative Alert System (correction) The VTPP's CoLA Committee has informed us that the Legislative Alert System announced earlier will not be available. You can track all Virginia bills at http://lis.virginia.gov/lis.htm For more in depth coverage, as well as congressional contact info, polls and comment, use http://www.richmondsunlight.com/?ModPagespeed=noscript  IN THIS ISSUE:
General and Agenda 21: Tea Party Federation...CoLA support / oppose legislation update 1/23 Elections: Del Rob Bell describes bills affecting voter registration Business: Virginia Action Alert: Freedom and Opportunity for Farmers Obamacare: Exchanges Bills Votes in House of Delegates Commerce and Labor Committee Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2013 Obamacare: SB 924 and related legislation vote postponed in the Virginia Senate Labor and Commerce Committee National Defense Authorization Act: CoLA ALERT... HB2229 AFP Lobby Day (Jan 30th) * * * * * * * * * * General and Agenda 21: Tea Party Federation...CoLA support / oppose legislation update 1/23 Dear Delegates and Senators, Attached is the final VA Tea Party Patriots Federation support / oppose legislation update that you will receive prior to Crossover.<click here to view attachment at Constant Contact library site> To help you identify legislation traceable to United Nations Agenda 21, we are providing you with a separate list of those bills on pages 4 & 5. We ask you to please vote no on all legislation that would further diminish property rights. On this list you will also find legislation establishing / expanding environmental 'credits' which I am sure you are aware will expand the Cap and Trade system. Please note: In addition to the attached legislation, the Federation is opposed to any new program, tax, fee, tax credit, extension of sunset dates or grants that do not have a budget offset. We support down sizing government and welcome spending cuts. Thank you very much for serving in Virginia's citizen legislature. We will support your efforts as you work to protect the precious freedoms afforded your constituents by our United States and Virginia Constitutions. Sincerely, Carol Stopps Chair: Cooperative Legislative Action (CoLA) VA Tea Party Patriots Federation "A statewide coalition of tea Party and Patriot Groups" Back to "In This Issue" Elections (a note from Delegate Rob Bell) Dear Friend, Hearings have now been set on my bill to require 'Photo ID - No Excuses' and other measures. House Bill 1787 would require voters to present photo ID for voting. House Bill 1788 would additionally require citizenship checks at registration, as are currently required at DMV for a driver's license. Both bills have been assigned to the Elections Subcommittee, which is currently scheduled to hear the bills on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 7:30 a.m. House Bill 1765 would help ensure that felons will be removed from the voter rolls in Virginia. House Bill 1764 would direct the Board of Elections to work with other states to ensure that no voter be registered in two states at the same time. Both bills have been assigned to the Campaign Finance Subcommittee, which is currently scheduled to hear the bills on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. All times are subject to change; click here for scheduling updates. Sincerely, Rob Bell
Delegate, 58th District Back to "In This Issue" Business: Virginia Action Alert: Freedom and Opportunity for Farmers Two important pieces of legislation are before the Virginia General Assembly. If both are voted into law, they will free citizens in the state of Virginia to build farm & food businesses, create new jobs. These two farm freedom bills are about unleashing the productive capacity of rural Virginia and creating economic opportunities for farmers and other food producers. Additionally, they would increase consumer access to foods from local producers. The two bills work hand in glove, HB 1839 is about the freedom to produce and sell, HB 1430 is about the freedom to sell. HB 1430-Right to Farm Act: Expands definition of agricultural operations HB 1839-Home-production operations: Exempts some home processed foods from certain regulations About the bills HB 1430 -- Clarifies the definition of "agricultural operations" in Virginia's Right to Farm Act, to include farm-to-business and farm-to-consumer sales, especially of ancillary items in a farm store, such as books, crafts, furniture, food and beverages, as long as they comprise less than 50% of farm production or sales. It gives persons engaged in farming, a cause of action against the counties state employees and officials for violations of the Right to Farm Act or constitutional rights, such as right to property, assembly, free speech, religion. HB 1839 -- will allow for the sale of foods that are processed in the home or on a farm and sold directly to the end consumer, As long as the product is made from ingredients obtained in accordance with the law and labeled with the name of the producer, address, ingredients and a consumer advisory notice. Media Contact: Kimberly Hartke, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund * 703-860-2711 1 minute video discussing HB1430 Back to "In This Issue" Obamacare: Exchanges Bills Votes in House of Delegates Commerce and Labor Committee Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2013. Hello folks, Thursday, the Virginia HOUSE Commerce and Labor Committee will be considering the following bills which relate to Obamacare exchanges: HB 1664 Patron : Hope (D) Appears to set up a Democrat-designed State/Fed exchange. Same as SB1084. Cannot get clarification from patrons offices. HB 1769 Patron: T. Kilgore (R),
HB 1784 Patron: T. Kilgore (R) HB 1900 Patron: Rust (R) - Doesn't specifically deal with exchanges; implements parts of Obamacare; Changes definition of small business. May not be 100% bad, but opposed by 5 members in Senate C & L, including Obenshain, but passed that committee on that side. The House Commerce and Labor committee meets 1/2 hour after adjournment of the House, in House Room D of the General Assembly Building. Please contact members of the committee and tell them you are opposed to exchanges as well as implementing Obamacare. Contact info is in the attachment, or you can go to virginiageneralassembly.gov. You can also find links to the bills there, or at lis.virginia.gov. There is a Senate bill too: SB 1329 - Expansion of Medicaid. Patron : Wagner (R) This expands Medicaid according to Obamacare. Dr. Mark also has an analysis below. This is bad for our state, plus it's contingent on setting up an exchange. This is being considered TOMORROW in Senate Education and Health Committee. Thank you! Donna Co - Chairman of the NVaTP.com Obamacare Action Group Update: Neither LIS nor Richmond Sunlight have updates on the status of these bills. Back to "In This Issue" Obamacare: SB 924 and related legislation vote postponed in the Virginia Senate Labor and Commerce Committee Hello Tea Party Patriots, Several of us went to Richmond yesterday to voice our opposition to health benefit exchanges (SB924). Unfortunately for us the Senate session ran very long, and the Commerce and Labor Committee did not start till around 4:45. At that point they only considered a few relatively minor bills, and adjourned after only 1/2 hour. So I think the good news is that we have one more week to flood the phone lines and email. If you have emailed already, please make a phone call to committee members; If you phoned, please email. And thank you for what you have done so far - I have a hunch it is making a difference. Clearly they knew there would be a long debate and felt there would not be enough time to get into it yesterday. This committee meets again on Jan. 28 and Feb. 4. Because all Senate bills must be passed by Feb. 5, I believe they will definitely consider these bills on next Monday, Jan. 28. I will let you know for sure once they put out their docket, which will likely be Friday. My schedule will not permit me to go to Richmond again next Monday. So I'm asking others to please go to the committee next week. If anyone wants to take the testimony I had prepared for yesterday with them, I can give it to you. If you know someone close to Richmond, ask them to go. The amazing thing is that anyone can make his or her voice heard in committee. After the senators talk about a bill, the chairman will say "Is there anyone in the audience who would like to speak in support/opposition to this bill?" . Then you can get up and speak your mind! Also, please try to create your little own network of 5 (or more!) like-minded friends in Virginia, give them the information you have received, and ask them to contact the committee as well. Thank you, Donna Co-Leader of the NVaTP.com Obamacare Action Group Back to "In This Issue"
National Defense Authorization Act: CoLA ALERT... HB2229 (NDAA push back) passed out of committee. CoLA - PRIORITY LEGISLATION HB2229 NDAA PUSH BACK HB2229 Passed out of Committee . Floor votes this week CoLA's intent in asking Delegate Cline to sponsor this bill was so no one could be "spirited away" under section 2010 of the 2012 NDAA. Please support Delegate Cline for sponsoring this bill for us! Contact your Delegates and urge them to vote YES on HB2229 Find your legislator: http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/VGAMain?openform (weekend Voicemail works) HOUSE BILL NO. 2229 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the House Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety on January 25, 2013) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Cline) A BILL relating to detention or removal of a citizen from the Commonwealth. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1. § 1. A. The Secretary of Public Safety shall request from the U.S. Secretary of Defense that, when an agency of the federal government detains any citizen pursuant to 50 U.S.C. § 1541 as provided by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, P.L. 112-81, § 1021, the U.S. Secretary of Defense shall provide notification within 24 hours of the detention to both the Secretary of Public Safety and the chief law-enforcement officer of the locality in which the citizen is detained. B. The Secretary of Public Safety shall request from the U.S. Secretary of Defense that, when an agency of the federal government detains any citizen pursuant to 50 U.S.C. § 1541 as provided by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, P.L. 112-81, § 1021, the U.S. Secretary of Defense or his designee shall seek authorization from the chief law-enforcement officer of the locality in which the citizen is detained prior to removal of the citizen from the locality. C. The Secretary of Finance shall obtain from each cabinet secretary and submit to the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees, to be published in some manner on an annual basis, a list and description of all memoranda of understanding (MOUs) entered into between the Commonwealth and agencies of the federal government. D. If the federal agency detaining any citizen pursuant to 50 U.S.C. § 1541 as provided by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, P.L. 112-81, § 1021, fails to provide such notification as outlined in subsection A or seek authorization as outlined in subsection B, funds appropriated for implementation or continuation of such MOUs shall be contingent upon authorization by an act of the General Assembly in a subsequent year. The Governor may also order termination of any MOU at any time for noncompliance with this section. Back to "In This Issue"
AFP Lobby Day (Jan 30th) From Americans for Prosperity - It's here...our annual "Day the Capitol Rally and Lobby Day in Richmond!" This is the grassroots conservative activist event of the year in Virginia and we hope you will attend. Join Delegates Brenda Pogge, Ben Cline, Senator Jill Holtzman-Vogel and other like-minded patriots for this great event! We have four buses you can ride from all over the Commonwealth, so we do hope that you'll be able to join us in Richmond Wednesday, January 30th, for what will be the best Lobby Day ever hosted by AFP-VA. We're going to start the day with a rally at the Bell Tower in the morning and "ring in" economic freedom for the new legislative session. The rally will be followed by "lobby time" where you can meet with your state delegate and/or senator, and there will be enough time to watch the General Assembly in action! We'll continue in the afternoon with a free luncheon at the Hilton and then finish the day with our first-ever "Social Media Boot Camp" where we'll hear from experts on the best ways/practices to get our message of fiscal restraint out to the masses. Not a Tweeter or "Facebooker?" No problem - join others for a tour of the capitol and other local attractions. As you can see, there are ample opportunities to enjoy yourself, learn about the legislative process, and make a difference for our Commonwealth! Below you will find the specifics on bus departure times for each location. If you have any questions, please e-mail InfoVA@afphq.org or call 703-402-4445 for more information. Bus 1. Winchester/Harrisonburg/Woodstock Bus Stop: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5185207094 Bus 2. Springfield/Woodbridge/Stafford Bus Stop: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5185207094 Bus 3. Warrenton/Culpeper Bus Stop: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5185207094 Bus 4. Roanoke/Lexington/Charlottesville: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5185207094 As we arrange for possible VIP speakers, be on the lookout for more information. We'll announce further details as they are confirmed. As always, thank you for all that you do to stand for liberty - it's a privilege to stand alongside of you in this fight. Sincerely, Audrey Jackson Virginia State Director Americans for Prosperity Back to "In This Issue" # # #
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