During Tuesday’s meeting of the House Democratic Caucus, Virginia Congressman Jim Moran (D-8th) was officially named Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. Agencies under the Interior Subcommittee’s purview include: the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, National Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Smithsonian Institute, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Holocaust Museum and the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities.

The General Assembly passed legislation Thursday sponsored by Delegate David Englin (D-45) to give the Alexandria City Council the power to improve retirement benefits for its deputy sheriffs, fire marshals, emergency medical technicians, and other public safety workers. House Bill 273 will empower the City of Alexandria to offer all of its public safety workers a pension plan that allows them to retire after 25 years of service, which is the standard across public safety professions.

Last night, the Alexandria School Board adopted a fiscal year 2011 operating budget of $201,137,753, an increase of $3.5 million or 1.8% over the current budget. The Board is requesting $167,886,567 from the City, an increase of two percent, which aligns with the City Manager’s proposed school transfer.

The Alexandria Police Department is asking for help in identifying two suspects wanted in a robbery that occurred in the 200 block of South Royal Street. On January 11, at around 7:30 p.m., a 29-year-old woman was walking home from work, when she was approached by two suspects. The suspects pushed her up against a [...]

House Bill 1300, allowing the trading of emissions credits in air quality non-attainment areas, was narrowly amended (21-19) by the Virginia Senate on the motion of Senator Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax), who filed a floor amendment to protect northern Virginia localities currently protected under state law from further decreases in air quality due to emissions trading. The amended bill then passed the full body on a vote of 27 to 11

For months, the Alexandria City Public School system and the Alexandria Health Department have been developing a plan to relocate the adolescent clinic to T. C. Williams High School. Members of the City’s catholic community are opposed to the plan because clinic staff provide contraceptives and other family planning information.

Today, the Virginia House of Delegates rejected reforms to simplify absentee voting and create fair representative districts. The decision was made in a 7:00 a.m. Elections subcommittee meeting. State Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath) sponsored legislation that would have created a seven-member bipartisan commission to redraw districts for the Virginia House, Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2010 census.

In April, the Alexandria Planning Commission and City Council will vote on the proposed North Potomac Yard Small Area Plan. On Tuesday night, the two groups got a first look at the working draft.

The proposed small area plan includes the redevelopment of the Potomac Yard shopping center and the construction of a $240 million Metro station.

With only two-and-a-half weeks remaining in the 2010 Virginia General Assembly session, the focus is on the proposed State budget.

The House and Senate are proposing radically different ways to close a $4 billion State budget gap. The House proposes slashing K-12 school funding and both houses are considering deferring payments to the Virginia Retirement System, which would save hundreds of millions of dollars temporarily.

Each year the Alexandria City Council meets with members of the City’s federal delegation to ask for federal funding for local efforts. Last week, Virginia Congressman Jim Moran (D-8) came to Council’s legislative meeting to respond to this year’s requests.

“We are very lucky to have a Congressman who understands our needs so well and is so supportive of them,” said Councilwoman De. Pepper. “We want you to know how much we appreciate your efforts on our behalf.”