February 9th, 2007　

This week we passed the midway point of the 2007 Virginia General Assembly session. Crossover Day occurred on Wednesday (February 6) when all bills and resolutions approved by the House of Delegates made their way to the Senate. Bills passed by the Senate are now in the hands of the House of Delegates for consideration.

I believe the most important bill to move through the 2007 session is House Bill 3202, better known as the Transportation Bill. While certainly not a perfect package for Hampton Roads, it's a transportation "vehicle" or funding proposal for the Senate to consider. Otherwise, Governor Kaine may feel the need to send down a transportation plan. So, as you can see, the final two weeks of session will be the most critical if we are serious about addressing our pressing transportation needs.

Now an update on some other bills that I've sponsored or co-patroned.

A Senate committee has passed my bill to require all localities to have up-to-date Emergency Operations Management Plans. Localities will need to update their plans every four years and local governing bodies must sign off on them. In the event of a disaster, it's imperative that all localities have current emergency plans. The bill awaits full Senate approval.

I am a co-patron on a very important piece of legislation that requires convicted sex offenders to register their E-mail and Instant Messenger addresses with law enforcement. The bill passed unanimously out of the House and is currently in the Senate.

The future of Payday Lending in Virginia remains uncertain. The patron of a House bill to restrict the loans withdrew his bill when an amendment was added to cap interest rates charged by these lenders. A Senate version limits the number of Payday Loans that can be made to an individual at any one time. I am hoping we can keep a Payday Lending bill alive this session!

I am also proud to be a co-patron of the Two-Year College Transfer Grant Program which establishes and provides higher education grants of $2,000 per year to Virginia residents who have successfully completed an acceptable associate degree program at a public two-year institution of higher education.

An issue that has elicited enormous response from the district is eminent domain. I voted to support a constitutional amendment that would prohibit state or local governments from taking property for private commercial enterprise, economic development, or any other private use, except with the consent of the owner from whom the property is taken.

It was great to welcome so many of my constituents who were here recently to testify in favor of lower property taxes.

I hope you will contact me if you ever have any issues or concerns.

It is a pleasure and an honor to represent such involved citizens and even if we don't always agree, I always look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Delegate Paula Miller-87th District