Though we're not meant to be a political issues site, we do want to help the community stay informed; we receive Delegate James Edmunds' weekly General Assembly newsletters and will be posting them for our visitors' information. 

Any other regional legislators are welcome to send us their newsletters, and we will gladly post them also.

Delegate Edmunds General Assembly Update - 01.15.10

Richmond:  The 2010 session of the Virginia General Assembly has started and I was officially sworn in as your new delegate at noon on January 13th.  I approach this first session with great pride and determination to represent the 60th District to the best of my ability.

This week I have spent many hours listening to my colleagues, sitting in on briefings and trying to get myself up to speed as quickly as possible.  This is indeed a very humbling experience but an experience that I look forward to tackling.

Richmond is abuzz with preparation for the inauguration of Republican Governor Bob McDonnell on Saturday, January 16th at noon.  There will be many opportunities to participate in the festivities all weekend, including a grand inaugural ball at the Richmond Convention Center Saturday night.  Security is extremely tight and many streets will be closed to traffic downtown.

Speaker Bill Howell announced committee assignments this week and I am privileged to be able to serve on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources; Counties, Cities and Towns and Militia, Police and Public Safety.  Committee meetings will officially begin next week where we will take a close look at bills before they go to the House floor for an official vote. 

I was asked by Governor-Elect McDonnell to carry a bill for him that should clarify the criteria for awarding grants and loans for the Governor’s Development Opportunity Fund.  That bill number is HB380 and you can read this and any other bill by going online at http://legis.state.va.us/ and typing in the bill number. 

I am also co-patron on several other bills concerning veteran’s fishing licenses, gun rights, and bills that will attempt to limit the federal government’s power over handgun and healthcare regulations on a state level.

The budget remains the single most critical issue that will be addressed this session.  There will be cuts throughout every sector of government that will affect every citizen.  I think it is critical that we concentrate on the core priorities of government and provide for the real needs of our people.  Hopefully this will result in a stronger state.

In the coming weeks I will try to comment on a variety of issues that are particularly important to our area.  I depend on the comments from people in the district to shape my views about what is best for our area so I hope that you will log onto my website and fill out the survey that is posted there [SoVaLife note - the survey is hosted here].

My legislative aide, Shelia Bradley, is staffing our office here in Richmond, located in Room 805 of the General Assembly Building.  You can contact us by e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or by mailing us at PO Box 406, Richmond, VA 23218-0406.   I encourage you to let me know how you feel about any issue.

Friendly faces from home are always a welcome sight here in Richmond, so if you’re planning to visit the Capitol between now and the middle of March when session ends, please stop by our office.

Until this year’s session concludes, I’ll be sending these weekly comments back home.  I hope you enjoy reading these columns, and I greatly appreciate the newspapers' commitment to informing the public by printing them.

Website:  www.friendsofjamesedmunds.com
Email:      This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Phone:   804/698-1010
Fax:       804/698-6760