I am often surprised to learn what some folks think we do in Richmond during the General Assembly session. They imagine a steady stream of closed-door meetings between delegates and senators to discuss bills and swap favors to create compromises in legislation. The truth of our time and action here is quite different. Close to half of my time is spent in meetings in my office with visiting groups of constituents who want to voice their opinions about specific legislative matters. Since the beginning of the session I have enjoyed talking privately with teachers and administrators from Dabney Lancaster Community College, New River Community College, Virginia Tech, and Radford University; Alleghany and Montgomery County school teachers and administrators; representatives from the Bath County Library, the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge, Planned Parenthood, Montgomery and Alleghany County automobile dealers, New River Valley Senior Services and the Christiansburg Industrial Institute—and that's only a small sample.

I also meet with lobbyists for constituent groups—sportsmen, environmentalists, logging companies, professional fisherman, banking, nurses, utility companies, the insurance industry--again a small sample—who bring me background fact sheets about pending legislation. Then there are the office visits with state agency heads who come to explain ramifications of particular bills, or to talk about budget implications—especially those that impact their agency.

The legislative day is structured so that sub-committees meet between 6:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.—prior to the commencement of full committees, which meet from 9 a.m. until noon. When there is time, the two political parties often meet prior to the full legislative session to discuss the progress on specific legislation or general issues of concern. The entire House of Delegates and Senate meet in their separate chambers at noon and those sessions can stretch from one to twelve hours. The sessions get longer and longer as more of the controversial and complex bills move through the committee process onto the House floor for full discussion. Following adjournment of the daily sessions, the committees go back into session and meet throughout the late afternoon and early evening. Meeting with visitors, lobbyists, constituents, or finding time to read legislation and position papers—or just think—falls somewhere in the midst of these legislative activities.

Actual legislative meetings—committees and sub-committees--are always completely open to the public, and generally well attended by concerned citizens, lobbyists, visiting experts and the media. During those meetings there is surprisingly little discussion among delegates. A bill is presented by a member of the House or Senate and, following the general presentation, committee members ask, often pointed, questions of the patron to determine the important components of the legislation—Who will it serve? How much will this cost? What are the ramifications of this measure on other occupations, localities or the environment? It is with the questions to the patron and witnesses that I begin my assessment of the merits or weaknesses of a bill. At the close of what can range from a very short presentation to one that takes several hours with information coming from all sides, the committee votes the measure up or down. And immediately after that vote, the next bill is presented and the process starts all over again. The strength of a measure can be won or lost with the presentation before the initial committee or subcommittee. Certainly the merit of an idea doesn't require a large contingency or an exhausting hearing, but a good bill can die without a good showing and a bad bill can emerge because of heavy outside support and arm-twisting.

One interesting aspect of legislative work is that in the course of a day you wear many different hats. I began one morning as chair of the newly organized sportsman's caucus—a non-partisan group that tracks legislation of interest to hunters, fishermen, trappers, boaters and outdoor enthusiasts. We discussed the status of bills that address sporting concerns. An hour later, I was a chief patron as I presented a bill in subcommittee to require additional training for drivers of 15-passenger vans. I presented testimony about the growing and alarming data identifying serious safety concerns with these vans, which were initially built for cargo purposes. Following that I became a subcommittee member and listened to testimony on several bills, including: increasing the penalty for cruelty to animals, changing notification policies for timber activities, and revising the law addressing animals that attack other animals.

The days can be long and occasionally grueling, but I know they are no more strenuous than those of most working citizens throughout the Commonwealth—just different.  

As usual, I hope if you have questions or concerns about legislation mentioned in this column, or any legislative matter, you will not hesitate to contact me at any of the following addresses. And again, I invite you to visit me in Richmond to discuss local or legislative issues of importance to you.