I had the opportunity to spend a little time on the phone last week with my state senator, Ralph Northam. Our conversation covered a myriad of topics regarding the current General Assembly session. Northam represents the 6th Senate District, and is no longer the wet-behind-the-ears innocent that we elected three years ago.
Northam expressed concerns about the number of gun bills being passed by the legislature. “You mix guns with alcohol and human nature and you’ve got yourself a bad combination,” Northam told me. “Just because you get a permit doesn’t mean you’re qualified to use the weapon.”
The looming budget cuts were also on the mind of Northam when we spoke last Monday, which was after the budgets had been introduced but not yet voted on. He mentioned the education cuts, in particular those to pre-K, a program he strongly supports. He also mentioned Governor Bob McDonnell’s stance of no tax increases has tied the hands of those preparing the budget. The cuts, he said, are going to cost thousands of jobs and will be to the core services of government.
Northam is a pediatric neurologist at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, the only free-standing children’s hospital in Virginia. According to a recent editorial, 53% of its patients are on Medicaid, by far the largest percentage of such patients in the state. With the proposed budget cuts to Medicaid, CHKD, which is located in Norfolk, stands to lose a significant amount of funding. Northam told me that the reason that CHKD’s Medicaid numbers are so high is that other hospitals take adult patients. An attempt to change the funding formula – to boost the allocation to hospitals with high percentages of Medicaid patients – has so far failed.
Speaking of a subject near and dear to my heart, Northam called inaction on bipartisan redistricting “embarrassing.” Northam co-patroned Sen. Creigh Deeds’ SB173, which creates a bipartisan redistricting commission. The bill passed the Senate 40-0, while an identical bill in the House, HB638, failed. Northam expressed pessimism about the fate of the Senate bill, which is currently assigned to the House P&E subcommittee #2 on Elections.
Northam’s SB186 takes on ethics reform. The bill, according to Northam, prohibits lobbyists from serving on the review panel and makes it clear that the resignation of a member – such as that of former Del. Phil Hamilton – doesn’t stop the process. An identical bill on the House side, HB814 introduced by freshman Del. Robin Abbott, was incorporated into a similar bill, HB655 introduced by Del. Ward Armstrong. Given that the bills have passed their respective chambers, we will see ethics reform this session, one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal session.
A big issue for Northam was reflected in his menhaden fishery bill, SB185. Facing stiff opposition, which Northam called “disappointing,” the bill was pulled. “The best way to promote jobs is to have a healthy and well-managed Chesapeake Bay,” Northam said. “I’ve got some other things I’m working on for next year and that menhaden thing is not going to go away as long as I’m here.”
“The more we are learning about concussions and what the brains of these NFL players look like when they go under autopsy – it is frightening,” Northam said in reference to his SB652. The bill is focused on education for the students, parents, coaches and school administrators of the effects of concussions. Similar legislation, according to Northam, is being considered in 25 or 26 other states.
All of the bills Senator Northam introduced this year can be found on his page on Richmond Sunlight and reflect a growth on the part of the Senator. “The more time you spend up here, the more effective you become and you can get some important legislation through,” Northam told me. “You have to learn how to reach across the aisle and work with everybody.”
One question I had for Northam related to a recent article about the judgeships in Virginia Beach. Northam confirmed that he and former Senator Ken Stolle had an agreement that if Northam would support the Republican choice, Les Lilley, the next opening would go to the Democratic choice, Gene Woolard, in order to clear the impasse that existed on judges last year. Northam took exception to the Stolle statement in the article that he couldn’t bind the House members.
I will remind him and the House: they’re the ones that took Norfolk judges off the resolution. The House Republicans took them off. So he was able to bind them, you know, when he needed something for himself but now that it’s time to finish business..
You live and learn.
Northam took a lot of heat over his deal with Stolle, just one of several situations where Stolle took advantage of the politically naive Northam. But he’s sticking to his guns on this one and wants the Virginia Beach Republicans to hold up their end of the bargain. It may be a moot point, though: Northam said that with the budget the way it is, they might do away with two judgeship openings. We discussed the possibility of a recess appointment, but such an appointment by Gov. McDonnell may be difficult: Glen Huff was McDonnell’s law partner.
I appreciate the opportunity to chat with my Senator. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find the time to do a wrap-up call after the session ends. In the meantime, below is his update from Friday.
General Assembly Update: February 26, 2010
By Sen. Ralph Northam
As you know, the Senate and House money committees released their budget reports last Sunday. On Thursday, both budgets passed their respective houses. In the following weeks, a conference committee will meet to rectify the differences between the documents.
While the cuts envisioned by the Senate budget are difficult to swallow, I voted for the Senate budget because it protects important resources for the most vulnerable members of our society. We were able to present a balanced budget, while still maintaining funding for law enforcement, community health centers, school breakfast and lunch programs, and domestic violence prevention, among other priorities. While the Senate budget did make significant cuts to Medicaid reimbursements for health care providers, we expect to be able to backfill this gap with Federal money in the coming months.
Also, unlike the House version, the Senate budget maintained funding for the Commission for the Arts and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. The arts offer a creative outlet for old and young alike, and cutting all funding to this valuable piece of Virginia life is unacceptable. Exposure to culture and imagination is a key to inspiring growth and innovation, not just in social and academic circles but in the business world as well.
Most importantly, we worked to ensure that public education will not suffer devastating cuts. I understand the importance of protecting our funding streams for the benefit of teachers and students, and I will do everything I can to guarantee that our children have the benefit of a world class education to prepare them for the jobs of the future. Educating all of our children is crucial to ensuring the continued competitiveness of America in the global economy.
I thank you all for your support, and I welcome your input during session. My office phone number in the General Assembly building is (804) 698-7506, and my email is SenatorRalphNortham@gmail.com. If I am not available, my legislative assistant, Matt Strickler will be happy to help. Please do not hesitate to call or e-mail, and if you are in Richmond, please feel free to stop by and say hello.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 