Halfway There!

We have officially reached the midway point of the General Assembly Session. It is hard to believe we have already considered over 1,500 bills this year in the House of Delegates. We now await several hundred bills that have passed the Senate but must gain House approval before going to the Governor for his signature

Our focus in Richmond continues to be on creating new private-sector job opportunities and putting Virginians back to work.

Last week, Governor McDonnell announced the results of his Transportation Economic Review. The results showed that the $4 billion investment plan we passed last year has or will soon create over 3,700 jobs in the Commonwealth.

That review looked at 10 projects, including the I-581 interchange at Valley View. This project could create as many as 150 jobs over the next 4 years, generating $40 million in income for Roanoke Valley families.

Also last week, the House worked to pass its Public Safety Agenda, which is focused on making our neighborhoods and communities safer. We passed legislation that will require tougher penalties for DUI offenders and new measures to combat domestic violence.

In closing, I am proud to announce the start of a new feature called “Ask Greg.” If you have something you would like to ask or would like me to discuss in my weekly column just send me an e-mail at delghabeeb@house.virginia.gov or give me a call at (804) 698-1008. Next week, I will answer one or two of your questions in my weekly column! I look forward to hearing from you.