|
|
|
|||||
|
Dear Friends, Throughout the country Democrats, Republicans and even some independents will head to the polls to cast in a ballot in the presidential primary today--24 states will hold nominating contests for either the Democratic or Republican parties, or both. With Virginia's presidential primary just a week away, I wanted to update you on the election reform legislation I have before the General Assembly this year: Expanding Access to Absentee Voting. This year I am carrying two bills to make it easier for Virginians to vote absentee. SB 7 changes our election law so that any person with a disability or illness can vote absentee. This bill passed the Senate unanimously earlier in the year and will now be heard in the House of Delegates. I also introduced a much broader provision: allowing any qualified voter to vote in person before Election Day. My bill, SB 8 was incorporated into Senator Howell's similar proposal and passed the Senate with a bipartisan majority yesterday. Redistricting Reform Passes the Senate with Overwhelming Bipartisan Support. Last week I wrote about my work as Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments, Reapportionment and Referenda to create a compromise bill that would end the bickering and bitterness that is all too common in Richmond by creating a bipartisan redistricting process. I'm pleased to report that the Senate passed the bill yesterday on a 33-5 vote, the second year in a row that my redistricting reform proposal won approval in the upper chamber. The bill is SB 38. Transparency in Campaign Finance. While SB 452, sponsored by my good friend Senator Chap Petersen, is not part of my legislative agenda, I was proud to support passage of this bill on the Senate floor yesterday. In Virginia there are no limits on the amount of money a person or business can contribute to a state political campaign, but we have balanced that by requiring complete and full disclosure of all donations. When I announced my campaign for Governor back in December, I used a political action committee named ActBlue to accept online contributions. While I was not required to report the source of the individual contributions, just the bundled contribution from ActBlue, I still did so because I support full transparency. This bill would require bundled contributions to be broken out and reported individually. Ensuring Every Vote is Fairly and Accurately Counted. Voters have the right to know that their ballot is counted on Election Day. As in years past, I have introduced legislation to require that optical scan ballots-where you mark your choice by filling in a circle or oval next to the candidate's name-be counted again when the results are so close that a recount is held. Current law says it is sufficient to use the election night count of these ballots. The bill is SB 35. My colleagues and I have been here at the General Assembly in Richmond for almost a month now, but there are still many issues for us to resolve. Have an opinion on a bill before the Senate? Please contact me, or my legislative aide, by e-mail at senatordeeds@embarqmail.com or by phone at 804-698-7525. I'm here to serve you and your interests and welcome your input. Very Truly Yours,
|
