City of Alexandria, Virginia
________________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: FEBRUARY 8, 2016
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of an Update on the 2016 General Assembly Session.
BODY
_________________________________________________________________
ISSUE: Update on the 2016 General Assembly Session.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council approve the legislative positions included in Attachment 2 (Recommended Positions on Bills of Importance to the City), as recommended by Council's Legislative Subcommittee.
DISCUSSION: The 2016 General Assembly Session began on January 13 and is scheduled to adjourn on March 12. The next significant deadline is "crossover." This day, February 16, is the last day that the House can act on House bills and the Senate can act on Senate bills. Beginning February 17, except for budget and revenue bills, the House can only take up Senate bills, and the Senate can only consider House bills.
City Package. The following bills seek to address proposals included in the City's legislative package. Attachment 1 is a more detailed status report on City Package bills.
* About a dozen bills have been introduced to allow either early or no excuse absentee voting. Although the Senate has approved these bills, the House has defeated them. When the Senate bills are considered in the House, they are expected to be defeated,
* A constitutional amendment to provide for the restoration of civil rights for persons who have been convicted of nonviolent felonies, but completed their sentence, probation, and parole has been carried over in the Senate. Several House bills proposing the same amendment have not been heard, but they are expected to be defeated or carried over for consideration by the 2017 Session.
* The House and Senate have both defeated all bills they have considered that would ban, tax, or allow localities to regu...
Click here for full text