Legislative Advocacy Archives - 2004

January 12, 2004

Join Us on February 4, 2004 for Virginia Tech's Hokie Day in Richmond...

We have set the date for our 6th annual Hokie Day in the General Assembly, which provides an excellent opportunity for Virginia Tech alumni to visit their local members of the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Senate. If possible, please join us in Richmond on Wednesday, February 4th, to meet with your legislators and voice support for Virginia Tech.

The day will begin with a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. at the Richmond office in Shockoe Slip Center. If you can join us on the 4th, please contact Betty Lee in our Richmond office at
804-786-8111 or email bettylee@vt.edu. She can provide specific directions to the Virginia Tech office. We will brief you on specific Virginia Tech priorities when everyone is gathered that morning and provide an outline of the salient points to offer in your visits with legislators. We will return to the Virginia Tech Office for debriefing and lunch.

A year ago, the Hokies for Higher Education program was re-energized in support of the successful Bond Referendum. This fall, we mailed two Hokies for Higher Education newsletters and we will continue to keep you informed of updates during the session. This day of alumni personal visits will be extremely important in helping Virginia Tech with its resource requests this year. We look forward to having you join us on February 4th.

Sincerely,

Thomas C. Tillar, Jr.
Vice President for Alumni Relations

January 30, 2004

Preparation for Hokie Day at the General Assembly

We are extremely pleased with the number of alumni who have offered to join our Hokie Day efforts next Wednesday, February 4. This will be helpful to the university as its requests are considered by Senators and Delegates over the coming weeks. If you are unable to join us, and have not already done so, please contact your legislators. A summary of Virginia Tech's 2004 Priority Budget requests.

Due to the number of potential visitors to the General Assembly next Wednesday, we recommend you make appointments to see legislators prior to arriving. You will have a better chance of getting to speak directly to your Senator or Delegate. If you are not sure who your legislators are, go to the web site legis.state.va.us/. Click on "Who's My Legislator" in the upper right corner. Appointments should be scheduled between 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or in the afternoon. If you cannot get an appointment, visit anyway. Some legislators do not make appointments due to their committee meeting schedules.

Our day begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Virginia Tech Richmond Office at 11 South 12th Street, immediately behind the Berkeley Hotel in Shockoe Slip. Driving directions to the Virginia Tech Richmond Office.

Thank you,

Thomas C. Tillar, Jr.
Vice President for Alumni Relations

Parking for Hokie Day participants, listed in order of closeness to 11 South 12th Street:

February 5, 2004

We had a successful Hokie Day on February 4th in Richmond with more than 70 alumni and students visiting legislators. We have enclosed information on another important gathering of higher education supporters on Monday, February 9, 2004. This rally will be at 11:00 a.m. in Capitol Square with the Governor and others present to show their strong support for increasing appropriations this year for colleges and universities.

Tell the Virginia General Assembly to Invest...
...Not a Penny Less than what Virginia Needs!

Jean Bankos, President of the Virginia Education Association and
Former U.S. Senator Paul Trible, Chairman of the Foundation for Virginia

Invite you to show your support for

Investing in Virginia’s Future and Increased Funding for Education
Not a Penny Less than what Virginia Needs!

Join us at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square
11:00 a. m., Monday February 9, 2004

Afterwards we will move to just outside the General Assembly Building to show our support to members of the legislature as they make their way to the House and Senate.

Our Speakers:

Governor Mark R. Warner
Senator John Chichester, Chairman, Senate Finance Committee

Our Goal:

To show the Virginia General Assembly that people are united across the Commonwealth in their call for increased funding for education and other core services. Your Legislators need to hear from you!

Contact Us:

 Virginia Education Association
804/648-5801
www.veaweteach.org

Foundation for Virginia
804/864-8810
www.foundationforvirginia.org

March 3, 2004

Special Bulletin from University President Charles W. Steger

SUBJECT: General Assembly Analysis

As a follow up to our last legislative advocacy mailing in December describing the Executive Budget, I am writing to share our assessment of the House and Senate budgets that were adopted on Thursday, February 26, 2004. As the recommendations now stand, for the first time in four years higher education will not suffer General Fund reductions. However, as the linked chart indicates, there are significant differences between these proposals for both the University Division and Cooperative Extension.

While the Executive Budget provided a modest increase in General Fund support, it provided sufficient flexibility in its tuition and fees policy to allow the University to increase tuition and fees rates to a level that would address the funding requirements of our base operating budgets and strengthen our academic programs in accordance with our four-year plan. In comparison to the Executive Budget, the proposed House budget provides additional non-general fund authority and flexibility in its tuition and fees policy. However, the House budget limits tuition revenue increases for 2004-06 to a level that would fund up to 95 percent of the higher education base budget adequacy guidelines, slowing the pace of full funding of the University to a six-year period.

The Senate budget provides significant base funding through both General Fund and tuition and fees; this approach moderates the amount of tuition and fees increases required and meets the four-year funding plan. To illustrate the differences, for 2004-05 the Senate provides $12.3 million in General Fund support for Virginia Tech, while the Governor recommended $3.4 million, and the House, $1.4 million. The level of tuition increases for next year will be directly related to the amount of General Fund support provided. The Senate budget also provides for a faculty salary increase in November 2004, while the House and Executive budgets defer salary increases to November 2005. If no pay increase is approved for 2004-05, faculty will have gone without pay increases for three out of the last four years.

In Cooperative Extension, both the Executive Budget and the Senate budget provided increased General Fund support for each year of the biennium. The Senate budget includes salary increases in November 2004 and 39 new agent and specialist positions. No increase in support was included in the House budget except for the November 2005 salary increase for all employees. Please recall that the Cooperative Extension/Agricultural Experiment Station Division has lost over $10.5 million from its annual base over the last two years.

Fortunately, all three budgets included $8 million for equipment purchases. This returns equipment funding to the previous level of support, following two years of steep cuts.

In summary, the good news is that the tide of diminishing support for higher education appears to be turning. However, we must keep in mind that in the past three years we have lost over one-quarter of our state funding, and there are stark differences in the recommendations before the General Assembly.

Please review this analysis and feel free to share it in your discussions with members of the General Assembly. We are hopeful that a budget will emerge from this process that will enable Virginia Tech and the other institutions of higher education to rebuild and move forward after the most serious budgetary crisis in many years.

Addendum: Proposed Higher Education Budgets From The Governor And Each House Of The General Assembly

April 8, 2004

Help Generate Support for House Bill 5018: An Important Step Towards a Budget Compromise

You have probably read in the paper or heard on the news that the House has offered a bill (HB 5018) which includes tax relief for most Virginia's while also increasing the cigarette tax and sales tax by one half cent, as well as closes several corporate tax loopholes. Those who are following the budget impasse believe this is the one and only chance for the House to pass a tax increase measure that will provide a basis for a meaningful compromise with the Senate and, indirectly, with the Governor. If it fails, they believe, there will not be another such effort in the House in the foreseeable future. Passage of this bill would provide much needed revenue to help address the state's growing needs in public education, higher education, public safety, and health care.

It would be extremely helpful if you could contact the delegates who have indicated they may vote for House Bill 5018 and give them the positive encouragement and support they may need to do so. To help facilitate contacts, a delegate contact list follows for the nineteen delegates who are considering a "yes" vote for House Bill 5018 and some talking points on the bill. The vote on the bill is likely to occur on Monday, so contact with your legislator needs to occur right away. Thank you in advance for your assistance in contacting these legislators on very short notice.

• House Bill 5018 is a carefully crafted compromise that takes an important first step in getting the state the revenue it needs to preserve essential services.
• House Bill 5018 is significant progress in breaking the current budget stalemate.
• House Bill 5018 provides tax relief to MOST Virginians.
• House Bill 5018 also provides additional revenue to begin meeting our state's growing needs at our schools, our colleges, for public safety and health care.
• House Bill 5018 increases the sales tax 1/2 cent, increases Virginia's lowest in the nation cigarette tax, and closes several corporate tax loopholes.
• House Bill 5018 goes a long way towards getting the revenue needed for the General Assembly to pass its long-overdue budget.
• House Bill 5018 is an important step in our state's efforts to begin meeting its basic needs in education, health care, public safety, and the environment.
• House Bill 5018 cuts the income tax for all Virginians, eliminates the marriage penalty, removes 140,000 low-income Virginians from the tax rolls, lowers the food tax, and eliminates the estate tax.

Bryant, L. Preston Jr. 
434-528-1097
mail@prestonbryant.com

Callahan, Vincent F. Jr. 
703-356-1925
dcalla5475@AOL.com

Carrico, Charles "Bill " W. Sr.
276-773-9600
del_carrico@house.state.va.us

Dillard , Jim 
703-323-9556
jdillard@sytex.net

Fralin, William H., Jr
540-772-7600
delegatefralin@aol.com

Hamilton, Phil 
757-249-2580
dphr93nn@aol.com

Hurt, Robert 
434-432-4600
rhurt@pittgov.org

Ingram, Riley 
804-458-9873
del_ingram@house.state.va.us

Jones, Chris
757-483-6242
scj@schrisjones.com

Marshall, Danny
434-797-5861
del_dmarshall@house.state.va.us

Morgan, Harvey
804-693-4750
del_morgan@house.state.va.us

Nutter, Dave 
540-382-7731
del_nutter@house.state.va.us

Oder, Glenn 
757-930-8683
oder5@cox.net

Orrock, Bobby 
540-891-1322
del_orrock@house.state.va.us

Parrish, Harry J
703-367-0505
del.parrish@erols.com

Reese, Gary 
703-476-4505
del_reese@house.state.va.us

Rust, Thomas
703-437- 9400
del_trust@house.state.va.us

Scott, Ed 
540-825-6400
del_escott@house.state.va.us

Tata, Robert 
757-340-3510
btata2730@aol.com

Thank you,

Thomas C.Tillar Jr. 
Vice President for Alumni Relations