 | | Delegate Taylor's Week 3 Session Video |
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Team, As week three comes to an end, I want to assure you that our office is working hard on the things promised during my campaign: creating jobs, improving education, and supporting our military and veterans. These goals are always on our minds. Jobs and the economy On the jobs front, HB 2347, my bill relating to public procurement, backed by the city of Virginia Beach, would extend more opportunities to compete to disabled veteran-owned and minority-owned businesses. In advancing this concept, we obtained a commitment to study the bill and its effects over a year by the Small Business Council. I want to extend my thanks to Carla Baily and Michael Lancaster, small business owners in Virginia Beach that serve on the city's Minority Business Council, for making the trip up to Richmond to speak on behalf of the bill. I look forward to working with them in the future.  Keeping school start post Labor Day Our office participated in a news conference highlighting a Virginia Commonwealth University study showing no added benefit to starting school prior to Labor Day. The Virginia study joins others from Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin showing the same conclusion: no benefit to the students. Conversely, starting school prior to Labor Day would have a serious negative impact on our region, due to the reduction of direct and indirect tourism economic activity.  | | VHTA Press Conference |
Pay raise for teachers and other state workers I'm pleased to tell you that state revenues are higher than expected (6.8% vs 3.1%). Below are some of the ways in which the House of Delegates proposes that these increased revenues be used: * fund pay raises for teachers, state police, state employees, and state-supported local employees * restore approximately $4 million in overtime funding for state police * eliminate half of Gov. McAuliffe's proposed cuts to higher education * protect tax incentives for families and businesses * eliminate the most onerous fees proposed by Gov. McAuliffe * protect tax incentives for families and businesses Military and veterans This week a bill passed to build new veterans care centers in Northern Virginia and Virginia Beach. Reps. Randy Forbes and Rob Wittman pledged this week to do what they can at the federal level to move these important projects forward. Virginia currently has only two veterans care centers to provide long-term care for 781,000 veterans who live in the commonwealth. You can read more about our efforts in The Washington Post. In addition, I introduced legislation this week, HB 2397 that streamlines and creates more efficiency in the Military and Overseas Voters Act. Crowdfunding Crowdfunding has piqued quite a bit of interest. HB 1360, my bill allowing crowdfunding for access to capital for Virginia businesses, passed on it's second reading. You can read more here. As always, it was great seeing so many visitors in Richmond this week. There is nothing more powerful than seeing proactive advocacy. Thank you to these groups for visiting: Virginia School Board, Virginia unions, Virginia pharmacists, Military Officers Association of America, Hampton Roads Transit, bike advocates, Damuth Trane, Medical Society of Virginia, Virginia Tourism, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Beach Hotel Motel Association, Virginia Catholic Conference, mortgage bankers, Farmers Bureau, Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists, Family Caregivers, AARP, VADA, and Virginia Production Alliance., Family Caregivers, AARP, VADA, Virginia Production Alliance. 
Very Respectfully,
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