| | | Delegate Taylor's Final 2015 General Assembly Video |
It is hard to believe the 2015 General Assembly session has just ended. Our office team --in my opinion, the best in the House of Delegates, has worked tirelessly for you in supporting me on the things important to Virginia Beach families. During the session, we have concentrated on the principal things on which I ran for office: contributing to the creation of well-paying jobs and diversifying our economy, elevating education, and advocating on behalf our military and veterans. Below are some of my bills from this session and an update on the budget. Jobs/Economy. HB 1360 Securities Act; Crowdfunding Virginia Exemption. My signature piece of legislation this year allows crowdfunding into equity in Virginia. Crowdfunding is the practice of raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, either via a website or a brick-and-mortar platform. This will give small businesses in Virginia access to capital like never before and allows hardworking Virginians to invest in businesses for equity and with proper protections in place. It allows Virginians to invest in Virginia. There is no doubt this bill will lead to jobs, economic activity, and the American dream for many. Education With the ever-rising costs of education, it is important to make higher education attainable for all Virginians, if they choose to pursue that path. Further, we must consistently review our standards of learning, paying particular attention to our children. HB 1692 is a bill I co-patroned that permits four-year public colleges to offer a flat fee to Virginia freshmen pursuing degree programs in high-demand fields. HB1490 is a bill I co-patroned that would provide an Expedited Retake, which streamlines the state's Standards of Learning retake process for all students at all grade levels. Students who nearly pass a standardized test would be given an additional opportunity to take the test during the same school year. Military / Veterans HB 1721 is a property-tax exemption for surviving spouses of members of the armed forces killed in action. HB 1967 is my bill that provides that the Veterans Services Foundation may accept revenue from all sources, including private-source fundraising, to support its mission. Donors may request to be anonymous. HB 2057 is my bill that creates efficiency in the Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act, specifically relating to absentee voting. We must ensure that our military men and women overseas are not disenfranchised from exercising their right to vote. HB 1275 is the Hampton Roads Veterans Care Center project. It provides for funding of this important project. Not only will this provide a much-needed facility for our veterans, it will also create over 600 new jobs. Taxes: The Speaker of the House honored me with an appointment to the prestigious Finance Committee. In this position I have been able to effectively stop bills containing millions of dollars in tax increases. I am grateful for that opportunity to assist my constituents and other Virginians in that way. Budget: We have passed the budget! We have made some difficult choices in the House of Delegates over the last year to address the budget shortfall caused by President Obama's sequestration and tax increases. The governor proposed in his budget more than $10 million in new fees on Virginia families and $42 million in new government debt. The House of Delegates took a different approach, paying for building projects with existing revenues and eliminating $10.2 million in fees. We put $99.5 million in Virginia's rainy day fund to guard against future tax increases. The House of Delegates took a conservative approach, opposing Medicaid expansion and the governor's plan, but also working to strengthen existing safety-net programs for those with the greatest need. In the House, we also targeted more money for classrooms, and we are making college more affordable and accessible, so it can make the most difference for Virginia families. Overall, the House general fund budget spends $1.1 billion less this year than last year's budget. Our office assists constituents with a variety of needs and requests. Please do not hesitant to contact us, if we can ever be of service, at DelSTaylor@house.virginia.gov.Please visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/scotttaylorvirginia. I also encourage you to sign up for my email updates on my website www.scotttaylorva.com. I am moved by your continued trust in me to represent you. It is truly an honor to act on your behalf, doing the work of the people in this historic chamber.
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