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PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Welcome to the online version of LegisLink. This weekly newsletter, e-mailed to everyone and mailed to members of the Center, should be an excellent way for you to stay updated on the General Assembly. Do not hesitate to call the office for more information.

Director on Record

The Center wishes to express its sincere sorrow on the death of Tom Fox and the continued targeting of all Americans in Iraq. Our prayer for sustainable peace continues to be all of those in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the U.S.

Wanted: Full-time Au Pair for Legislature

Sports bars are funny places. They are dark cavernous spaces, punctuated by the flicker of large-screened televisions, where people devolve into childish creatures for the sake of their favorite team.

Even the most reserved “dark suits” sporting high dollar coifs revert to screaming and pumping their fists into the air amid companion merrymakers. Normally reserved and respectable, they seem to forget that no matter the volume of their commentary the referees, players, and coaches can not hear their pleas, not to mention that God does not take sides in sports matches. They relive their childhood wearing everything from neckties to foam-cheese hats on their heads in the name of school spirit and fun; imagine a room of accountants on an adult version of Romper Room.

Now consider the Virginia General Assembly. Though lacking the fashion-aggrandized color of the typical smoke-filled sports bar, the 2006 General Assembly seems intent letting loose like a room of lawyers on spring break. Like revellers in a sports bar where sides cheer for each play, regardless of the foul, they are subsisting on immature exchanges of prideful contempt toward a very questionable end.

With two days left of the regular Session, the budget is not complete, bills are being held hostage, and the Governor can’t even name a Secretary of the Commonwealth. Some legislators on both sides of the aisles are gleefully feeling like their team is winning but as in all epic battles, the carnage is too widespread for anyone to really claim victory.

When the General Assembly resembles a sports bar more than the oldest state house in the country, Virginia loses. When elected officials act more like children in a neighborhood scrap than state and community leaders, the voice of the vulnerable is more shut out than any other time. All Virginians, regardless of one’s pocketbook, deserve more collaborative leadership and a legislature of grownups. -Doug

Where things are in the legislative process

With the rejection of Secretary of the Commonwealth Dan LeBlanc, former president of the AFL-CIO, the Session will most certainly move into overtime. While almost all bills that have survived crossover have now been dealt with and all committee work completed, the looming state budget is being complicated by the actions of the House of Delegates.

The Center has been telling its members for weeks that the fight over transportion, and dedicated revenue sources, would likely trigger a special or extended session. The rejection of the Governor’s appointments to two positions (Jim Dillard and now Dan LeBlanc) will not most certainly put the Governor into a more non-compromising position.

For the Legislators who are not on the conferees committee, days are now quiet and largely filled with waiting. If you have been considering a time to come to the Capitol to speak to your elected officials, now is an excellent time for relationship building. It is very easy to get an appointment with so few meetings happening.

The session, extended or not, will not be completed until all budget bills are passed and any of the Governor’s vetos considered. We can not provide a date for when these events will happen, given the evolving tensions, but the State must have a budget in time for a July 1, 2006 start to the fiscal year.

Expect political drama to increase.

Bill Tracking

This weekly source of information is designed to help you find the bills in which you are interested quickly and efficiently.

We will be posting information about any relevant bills, including which legislator(s) sponsoring a bill, a summary of the bill, and where the bill is in the legislative process.
NOW IS THE TIME TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS. Constituent Viewpoint Line is 800-889-0229 or 804-698-1990.

Send email and fax messages to your legislators via our user friendly communications system on our website at www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org.

Priority	Description	Bill Number	Status	Position
Children	Child abuse and neglect; reporting requirements by ministers of religion.	SB253 Howell	On 3^rd reading on House floor	Support
Children	Kinship Foster Care	SB48 Miller	Passed both Chambers	Support
Criminal Justice	Court-appointed counsel; court may waive limit on compensation for certain cases.	HB176 Putney	Continued to 2007 in Senate Finance Committee	Support
Criminal Justice	Court-appointed counsel; removes monetary caps on fees.	HB313 Albo	Left in House Appropriations	Support
Criminal Justice	Triggerman rule; eliminated.	HB782 Gilbert	Letter sent to Crime Commission	OPPOSE
Criminal Justice	Human biological evidence; destruction of, penalty.	SB552 Stolle	Passed both Chambers	Support
Criminal Justice	Compensation of court-appointed counsel.	SB573 Stolle	Left in Senate Finance	Support
Environment	Clean Smokestack Act	SB242 Ticer	Incorporated into SB651 (see below)	Support
Environment	Air Emissions Control	SB651 Puckett	Passed both Chambers with Amendment	OPPOSE Amended Version
Health Care	Virginia’s Medicaid Program; reform	HB758 Hamilton	Passed both Chambers with Amendment	Monitoring
Health Care	Medical assistance; Provision for family planning services for low-income women	HB1472 Saxman	Stricken from docket by House Committee on Health, Welfare, and Institutions	Support
Housing	Virginia Housing Partnership Trust Fund; dedicating recordation tax revenues.	SB277 Whipple	Continued to 2007 in Senate Finance Committee	Support
Housing	Virginia Housing Partnership Trust Fund; dedicating recordation tax revenues	HB92 Suit	Continued to 2007 in Senate Finance Committee	Support
Housing	Residential Landlord Tenant Act; non-compliance of rental agreement	HB320 Albo	Passed both Chambers with Amendment	OPPOSE
Housing	Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act; confidentiality of tenant records.	SB427 Lambert	Passed both Chambers with Amendment	Support
Poverty & Working Poor	Motor vehicle title loans; caps rate of interest that may be charged.	HB325 Morgan	Continued to 2007 in House Committee for Commerce and Labor	Support
Poverty & Working Poor	Motor Vehicle Equity Loan Act	HB1514 Kilgore	Continued to 2007 in House Committee for Commerce and Labor	OPPOSE
Poverty & Working Poor	Motor vehicle equity loans	SB598 Bell	Continued to 2007 in Senate Committee for Commerce and Labor	Support
Poverty & Working Poor	Payday loans; repealing Act referring thereto.	HB619 O’Bannon	Continued to 2007 in House Committee for Commerce and Labor	Support
Poverty & Working Poor	Payday loans; use of Internet database for borrowers, rollovers prohibited by lenders.	HB225 D. Jones	Incorporated into HB912	Support
Poverty & Working Poor	Payday loans; increases minimum term.	HB626 Johnson	Incorporated into HB912	Support
Poverty & Working Poor	Payday loans; requires SCC to contract w/third party to est. and administer database	HB912 Oder	Stricken from House Calendar by patron	Support
Poverty & Working Poor	Minimum wage; increase	HB539 Callahan	Failed to report	Support
Poverty & Working Poor	Minimum wage; increase	SB480 Colgan	Failed to report	Support
Poverty & Working Poor	Income tax; income tax credit for low-income taxpayers.	HB753 McEachin	Left in House Finance Committee	Support
Other	Creation of Office of Faith-based Community Services	HB1213 Moran	Passed both chambers	Support
Other	Halal food; regulation of sale; penalty.	HB153 Alexander	Passed both chambers	Support
Other	Halal food; regulation of sale; penalty.	SB349 Howell	Passed both chambers	Support
Senate Budget Amendment	Increase funding for prenatal care for low-income women; 4 mil. each year	Item 301, #1s Lambert	Gone to Conferees	Support
House Budget Amendment	Home delivered meals; 7.3 mil. each year	Item 281 Callahan	Gone to Conferees	Support
House Budget Amendment	Increase funding for court-appointed attorneys; $3.8 mil. in 2007 and $7.5 mil. in 2008	Item 32, #2h Kilgore	$1.3 mil. increase each year approved by House Appropriations Committee	Support
House Budget Amendment	Increase funding for public defenders; 1.8 mil. each year	Item 39 Callahan	Gone to Conferees	Support
House Budget Amendment	Funding to add 54 positions in public defenders offices; 3.4 mil. each year	Item 39, #4h Callahan	Gone to Conferees	Support
House Budget Amendment	Restores full funding of TANF child support supplement in 2007	Item 334, #3h Callahan	Gone to Conferees	Support
House Budget Amendment	Funds state “opt-out” from federal regulations and provides TANF to individuals convicted of drug felony (possession)	Item 334, 5h	Gone to Conferees	Support
House Budget Amendment	Increase funding for prenatal care; 4 mil. each year	Item 301, #2h	Gone to Conferees	Support

Membership in the Center

We are a community of believers, people of conscience.

Our members are Christians, Jews, Muslims and even many who are exploring faith.

Our purpose is to create systemic change for the vulnerable in a different way than most. We work with lawmakers to pass legislation and change policies that affect those who are least able to help themselves. Our education initiative empowers people to use the law and the system to see their faith made real in the world. When we’re faithful, we can affect lasting and permanent change, something lasting longer than a single handout.

Your dollars help keep our voice heard for the sake of those who have no voice. Your membership is vital to our future impact.

Spreading the word about our mission is essential and we provide tremendous value for our members:
• We communicate with all our members via e-mail and newsletters about upcoming legislation.
• Our research staff offers commentary on legislative issues and drafts policy briefings.
• We educate groups everywhere on how to activate programs for social justice in their own communities.

Join with other people of faith to work towards “a more just and compassionate Commonwealth”

Send your tax-deductible membership donation today and don’t miss another edition of LegisLink mailed to you during the 2006 General Assembly.

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Center Priorities (.pdf)

Bulletin Inserts
Child Support (.pdf)
Environment (.pdf)
Housing Trust (.pdf)
Indigent Defense (.pdf)
Payday Lending (.pdf)
Minimum Wage (.pdf)

Advocacy Resources
Advocacy Guide (.doc)
Advocacy Portal (link)
Lending Info. (.ppt)
Richmond Map (.pdf)

For Small Groups
Eco-Stewardship (link)
Prayers for Creation (link)
Poverty Diet (link)

Policy Briefs
EITC (.doc)
TANF Child Support (.doc)
Payday Loans (.doc)
Healing Creation (.doc)
Child Ombudsman (.doc)
Affordable Housing (.doc)
Indigent Defense (.doc)
Minimum Wage (.doc)
Wage & EITC (.doc)
VA Tribes (.link)

Actions
Lending Petition (link)
Title Petition (link)
Wage Petition (link)

Reports
Budget Analysis (.pdf)
Food Stamps (.doc)
Lottery Study (link)

FAQ's (link)

Your donation helps the Interfaith Center advocate for a more compassionate Commonwealth. Your gifts support trainings, advocacy, community programs, and briefing development. Get involved and begin to Learn Pray and Act with us. Together we can!