Wednesday, March 27, 2013
State Sen. Adam Ebbin, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner among those who have changed their profile pictures.
You probably have seen a red square with a pink equals sign on it in your Facebook, Twitter and other social media feeds lately—a symbol that stands for marriage equality. It stems from an effort by the Human Rights Campaign that coincides with oral arguments being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this week regarding the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA, as it is known, allows the federal government to discriminate against same-sex couples. The equality symbol signifies that marriage really is all about love, according to the Human Rights Campaign. "It's nice for people on Facebook to see their Facebook friends standing up, and seeing so many people doing that," said state Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria. Ebbin, who is …
The governor's amended transportation bill should eliminate the fee on hybrid cars, according to some Northern Virginia legislators.
Gov. Bob McDonnell announced Tuesday that he was making a number of amendments to his massive transportation bill, including lowering the fee for hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, but some legislators aren’t happy. Among other changes, McDonnell has proposed lowering the annual fee for alternative fuel vehicles from $100 to $64. “Virginia’s economy depends upon a safe, reliable, efficient transportation system spanning all areas of the Commonwealth,” McDonnell said in a statement. “This is why I have substantially agreed to the provisions in the compromise bill that passed our legislature.” But Northern Virginia Delegates Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, and Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, argue the tax should be eliminated from the bill …
Monday, March 18, 2013
Local lawmakers will deliver a petition Monday morning to repeal the hybrid tax.
Del. Scott Surovell, D-44, and Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-30, will deliver a petition to Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell in Richmond Monday morning from residents who want to repeal the hybrid vehicle tax. The Virginia General Assembly recently passed HB2313, which includes a $100 tax on hybrid vehicles. In late February, Surovell and Ebbin started an online petition against the hybrid tax. The petition garnered slightly under 7,000 signatures as of Sunday afternoon, according to a Facebook update from Surovell. "The $100 hybrid tax punishes virtuous behavior, bears zero relationship to reduced road taxes paid, and disincentives energy independence," Surovell said in a column published on Patch in Februrary.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Final budget amendments includes $3.4 million to add 1,700 in-state undergraduate seats at Virginia universities.
- GOVERNMENT
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Monday, February 25
By Jessica Dahlberg, Capital News Service As the 2013 legislative session came to a close, the Virginia General Assembly approved amendments to the state’s two-year budget Saturday that included expanding Medicaid and spending more money on education. The amendments were passed by both the House (on an 83-17 vote) and the Senate (31-8) after tense discussions over Medicaid, which provides medical care for low-income residents. Legislators agreed to expand the program if certain reforms are made. In the House, Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, voted in favor of the bill. In the Senate, Alexandria Democrats George Barker, Adam Ebbin and Dick Saslaw supported the legislation. See vote tally below. The reforms will make Medicaid look similar to…
Sen. Adam Ebbin calls bill "bad economics."
- GOVERNMENT
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Monday, February 25
By Stephen Nielsen, Capital News Service A divided Virginia Senate has passed Gov. Bob McDonnell’s signature issue of the 2013 legislative session—a bill to overhaul the state’s system for funding transportation. Just hours before the session’s end, the Senate voted 25-15 for House Bill 2313, which will raise about $880 million a year more for roads and mass transit by increasing sales taxes while lowering the fuels tax. The debate over how to increase revenue continued right up to the vote. Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) voted against the legislation; Sens. George Barker and Dick Saslaw, D-Alexandria, supported it. “This isn’t any bill. This is the only bill,” said Senate Majority Leader Thomas Norment, R-Williamsburg. He said it’s the …
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Bill would impose harsher penalties, make texting while driving a primary offense.
A bill that would impose tougher penalties on those convicted of texting while driving cleared the state Senate Tuesday and now heads to the desk of Gov. Bob McDonnell. The bill increases the fine to $250 — up from $20 — for the first texting-while-driving offense and $500 for each subsequent conviction. It also makes texting while driving an aggravating circumstance to reckless driving, and so anyone convicted of such would face a mandatory minimum $500 penalty if they were texting while they were driving recklessly. Texting while driving would also become a primary offense, which means police can stop someone on the suspicion that a driver is texting; current law allows police to charge someone with texting while driving only if they've …
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Ebbin: Proposed law was aimed at protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender state employees.
A Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee this week tabled a bill that would have prevented the state government from discriminating against someone based on their sexual orientation, essentially killing the matter for this legislative session. "What it means is that it's still perfectly legal to fire somebody because of their sexual orientation," state Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, told Patch. Ebbin and Sen. Don McEachin, a Richmond Democrat, were the primary sponsors of the bill, which passed the Senate late last month 24-16. Most of Virginia's top 25 employers have nondiscrimination policies in place that include sexual orientation, according to Ebbin's office. His bill applied to state employees only. In 2005, then-Gov. Mark Warner …
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Alexandria-area representatives to answer questions about the 2013 Virginia General Assembly session.
Del. Rob Krupicka (D-45th) and Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30th) are hosting a town hall meeting from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Charles Houston Recreation Center in Old Town Alexandria to discuss this winter's General Assembly session. The Alexandria-area representatives will take comments and questions during the 90-minute session. No RSVP is necessary. Krupicka, a former member of both the Alexandria City Council and the Virginia Board of Education, was elected to the House of Delegates in a special election in September 2012. Visit Richmond Sunlight for a detailed look at the bills Krupicka has worked on this session. Ebbin is in his first term as senator, winning election to the office in 2011. He was previously a state delegate …
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Patch welcomes letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit for accuracy, clarity and brevity. Links added by Patch.
- GOVERNMENT
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Thursday, February 7
Dear Editor, This year Del. Alfonso Lopez and Sen. Adam Ebbin patroned similar bills designed to extend in-state college tuition to Virginia youth that qualify for residency under the new federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Currently, these students must pay out-of-state tuition for Virginia colleges even if they have lived, and their parents have paid taxes, in the commonwealth for decades. Without in-state tuition to help them afford higher education, many — if not most — of these young people will unable to advance their education and will be relegated to a second-class existence. By letting them pay in-state tuition, Virginia would invest in its future workforce and enhance the ability of these young people to …
Friday, February 1, 2013
Senators representing Alexandria split in support of amendment.
- ELECTIONS
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Friday, February 1
By Shelby Mertens, Capital News Service Starting in 2017, Virginia voters could have the opportunity to re-elect the governor to a second consecutive term if the House joins the Senate in seeking to amend the state’s Constitution. The Senate this week approved a proposed constitutional amendment to allow governors to serve two terms in a row. The vote was 25-15. SJ 276 was co-sponsored by Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and Dels. Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon) and David Ramadan (R-South Riding). Sen. George Barker, who represents a large portion of Alexandria's West End, voted against the constitutional amendment. Sen. Dick Saslaw, who represents a small part of northwestern Alexandria, voted in favor of it. Ebbin represents the eastern …
WestEnder
1:19 pm on Thursday, March 28, 2013
OK, I have to disagree w/ my green friends. The cars use the roads, someone has to pay for infrastructure costs. Why shouldn't a vehicle who uses the roads pay to help maintain the roads? Will hybrids be allowed to drive in the HOTlanes, the Dulles Tollway, free as well? more ›