There is good—great—news for Powhatan in the budget adopted by the House of Delegates and dispatched to the Senate as the General Assembly passed the midway point this past week. The House has not only endorsed the Governor’s proposed $3 million to begin development of a long-planned state park in the county, but also has included millions more in a bond package that would provide virtually all monies needed to bring the park into being. Of course some time would pass before actual construction projects would begin, but still we would be only a few years from expected completion.

Of course the Senate must concur. The House budget bill was conveyed to the Senate on February 13, and Senators will, no doubt, have their own funding priorities. Still, given that the House Appropriations Committee has ultimate authority in expending funds, I think we can be guardedly optimistic that park allocations will be in the final budget for 2006-2008.

Another major wrinkle in spending prospects arose this week. The Administration finally confirmed what many of us have suspected, namely, that the economic slowdown across the country is having its inevitable effects in Virginia. Whereas we entered Session advised of a $641 million shortfall in revenues for ’06-08, now we are advised that the shortfall could exceed $1.4 billion. The Governor this week announced significant reductions in spending limits for almost all segments of state government. However, the Governor also continues to support important capital projects—including the park for Powhatan.

No doubt once the Senate conveys its budget proposal to the House the entire ’06-08 budget will be assigned to a conference committee consisting of a half-dozen legislators from each Session. Significantly, House Appropriations Chairman Lacey Putney—who has given me inestimably invaluable assistance in securing the park allocation within the House budget—has received rave reviews from both sides of the aisle, and also from the Administration, for the bond package he has crafted. So, my hope is that Senators will recognize the economic as well as recreational promise of the Powhatan project in both the budget and bond proposals.

The House concluded action on its some 2,000 bills in record time. Accordingly, we are now into our first full week of reviewing bills approved by the Senate. Not surprisingly, looming over all our deliberations between now and adjournment will be the forthcoming final budget meetings.

One of my own commitments as budget deliberations proceed is to insert salary increases for both public school teachers and state employees. The Governor proposed delaying increases till mid-2009, but I have guarded hope the House budget would provide the well-deserved increases many months earlier.

The House has advanced bills to stiffen penalties for the abuse of animals and for under-age drinking. Also, the House has voted to eliminate the controversial “abusive driver’s fees” from the transportation funding bill enacted last year. I was chief co-patron of House Bill 16, one of the bills rolled into the final legislation that would take the fees off the books.

My principal legislation passed the House handily. This is HB 113, which, as previously reported, would allow prosecution of motorists who, in eluding law-enforcement officers, cause injury or, worse, death, as in the case of our community’s own Deputy Robbie Green. I fully expect the bill to be approved, too, by the Senate.

Visits and calls from constituents are of course a major aspect of Session. This past week, Pastor David Slayton of Red Lane Baptist Church came to the Capitol one day to lead the House in prayer.

Lee Ware represents the 65th District consisting of all of Powhatan County and thirteen precincts in western Chesterfield. During Session his office number is (804) 698-1065. Email address is