Please Join Senator George Barker For a Summer Solstice Celebration

With special guests

• Senator Dick Saslaw
• Senator Patsy Ticer
• Senator Toddy Puller
• Delegate Mark Sickles

Saturday, June 19th
4 pm – 6 pm
At the Home of Susie Warner (6229 Edison Drive, Alexandria, VA 22310; map: http://tinyurl.com/warner-home).

Sponsor levels: Platinum Sponsor: $1000 (Includes 2 tickets and special recognition at event); Silver Sponsor: $500 (ticket and special recognition at event); Bronze Sponsor: $250; Supporter: $100; Friend: $50; Young Democrats Price: $35

Please send checks to ‘Barker for Senate’, PO Box 10527, Alexandria, VA 22310.

Paid for and authorized by Barker for Senate.

Delegate Sickles Town Hall Meeting

Saturday, January 30th  10:00 am to noon
Snyder Center
  6450 S Van Dorn St., Alexandria, VA 22315
  map, click here

Delegate Mark Sickles will be holding a town hall meeting in the 43rd district to discuss ongoing state issues, the budget, and the winter legislative session. Guests joining him will be State Senator George Barker and Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay.

Lee District Open House

Saturday, January 30th, 1-3 pm
Franconia Governmental Center
6121 Franconia Rd
Alexandria, VA 22310
  map: http://tinyurl.com/franconia-gc

Come meet Supervisor Jeff McKay and his Lee District Staff. Also enjoy the annual Springfield Art Guild Show. Light refreshments will be served.

LeeDems Volunteer Appreciation Party

Sunday, January 31st 4-6 pm
Thompson Center
6090 Kingstowne Village Parkway
Alexandria, VA 22315
map: http://tinyurl.com/thompson-center

Join Lee District Democrats for a volunteer thank you and appreciation party for all the hard work done over the last year. Food, fun, Dems. This is not a fundraiser.

• When: July 4. Assemble at 3:30 pm. The parade begins at 4 pm
• Where: Meet at the corner of Main St & Dell Ave, Clifton, VA 20124 (map: http://tinyurl.com/July4th-Clifton)
• Questions? Contact CliftonWomenDems@aol.com

Because Virginia’s annual legislative sessions are short, alternating between 45 and 60 days, we rely on a number of committees and commissions that meet in the interim to tackle the complex issues facing the Commonwealth.  With the legislative session rapidly approaching, my work on these commissions is wrapping up, and we are making our recommendations to the General Assembly. I hope you will take a look at some of the work we have done.

In This Issue  

• Rapid Transit  
• Health Insurance  
• Joint Commission on Health Care  
• Immigration Commission  
• Joint Subcommittee on a Regional Rapid Transportation Network

Bus Rapid Transit

The Joint Subcommittee on a Regional Rapid Transportation Network, which I have been elected to chair, is charged with exploring improvements to rapid transportation options and to integration of the various transit systems that exist in greater Northern Virginia, extending from the District of Columbia out through the Fredericksburg, Culpeper, and Winchester areas.
 
Northern Virginians have demonstrated that when transit is convenient and fast, we will use it. Local transit ridership has been increasing steadily for many years. With gas prices skyrocketing, transit use rose very rapidly this year. Once these additional people got comfortable with transit, they found it worked for them, and there has not been a decrease in transit use this fall even though gas prices have plummeted. Many others, however, do not have reasonable transit options for commuting or other major trips. It is vital, therefore, that we enhance transit service in Northern Virginia and improve coordination among the many transit systems.
 
Most Northern Virginians have some familiarity with Metro and Virginia Railway Express (VRE). Less well known are the numerous bus systems that operate throughout the region. In addition to some Metrobus service, nearly every city and county has its own bus service. Some buses operate just within a city or county, not always meeting the needs of residents who may need to get to a job or other place a short distance outside that jurisdiction. Other buses, particularly commuter buses, travel outside the local county to specific locations, with Omni buses from Prince William going to locations such as the Franconia-Springfield Metro station, the District of Columbia, the Pentagon, Tysons Corner, or Old Town Alexandria. Those buses are variations of what is known as bus rapid transit, or BRT.
 
The Rapid Transit Action Committee and the Breakthrough Technologies Institute gave the subcommittee a presentation about the potential for an expanded Regional Rapid Bus Network serving Northern Virginia.  Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, has many positive features. It can avoid some traffic congestion. It runs with higher frequency and reliability than traditional bus systems, which will encourage ridership. It also offers riders access to new technologies such as Wifi and Real-time passenger information systems. An appealing feature of this option is that short-term, low cost developments can be quickly implemented that are flexible and lay the groundwork for larger, more comprehensive projects down the road.
 
We also have looked at other options, including Metro extensions into Prince William and other jurisdictions, and VRE enhancement. I am confident that this subcommittee will offer valuable insights to the General Assembly regarding innovative transportation solutions. The final meeting of this subcommittee will be held on December 18th in Woodbridge.  If you are interested in attending this meeting or would like more information, please contact my office.

 
Health Insurance: Small Business Commission and Mandated Benefits Commission

Two commissions on which I serve are the Commission on Mandated Health Insurance Benefits and the Small Business Commission. These two commissions are struggling with the same issues: how to get more people insured, how to make the insurance work for families and individuals, and how to keep it affordable.
 
At the request of the business community, the Small Business Commission has focused solely on health insurance this year. Small and medium-sized businesses have indicated that they want to provide health insurance coverage for their employees but often have difficulty doing so because of the costs. The number of such Virginia businesses providing health insurance coverage has dropped in recent years from 67 percent to 59 percent. We are considering some proposals that may help but will not fully resolve these issues.
 
One of the issues that has gained widespread attention recently is the extent to which health insurance policies should be required to cover specific services and treatments. Virginia now requires general insurance to cover many such things. Some argue that these mandates drive up costs, making health insurance coverage unaffordable for some businesses and individuals. In addition, because of restrictions in Federal law and that fact that many Virginians do not have private health insurance, such mandates affect only a third or less of all who need services. At the same time, many of the mandates now are services that likely would be demanded by businesses and individuals even if not required. In some instances, mandates can help make coverage of needed services standard. By standardizing benefits, it also can get around the problem of “adverse selection.” “Adverse selection” occurs when businesses and insurance companies avoid offering coverage for treatments not commonly covered because they fear that doing so would provide those requiring the treatment an incentive to get the plan with that coverage, disproportionately driving up the cost for those companies.
 
The Mandated Benefits Commission this year considered four categories of expanded benefits, recommending only one of the four. The Commission supported adding a mandate for autism treatments. In our first meeting of the Mandated Benefits Commission, we heard testimony from Delegate Marshall and Delegate Poisson, patrons of a bill that would require such coverage, and from medical professionals who treat autistic children. Many parents of children with autism also spoke about the extreme financial burden of obtaining the care they need for their children. While schools, Early Intervention, and Medicaid’s developmental delay waiver program provide some services for autistic children, there is still a considerable gap between what is provided and what some of these children require. Some states require health insurance to help bridge this gap.
 
I strongly believe that we need to develop a comprehensive approach to insure that all children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders receive the care they need. It is critical that the care be started early, often by age 2 or 3, and that the services be comprehensive in order for the children to maximize their potential. There are still important concerns that need to be addressed regarding this legislation and this issue, and I will continue to work with Delegate Marshall and others to develop consensus on how we can meet the needs of all Virginia children and families affected by autism spectrum disorders.  
Joint Commission on Health Care
 
Last week the Joint Commission on Health Care voted on a number of policy options that had been discussed at prior meetings. Because of the thorough research that staff conducts, and the Commission’s bipartisan and thoughtful approach to the significant health care issues the Commonwealth is facing, the General Assembly typically takes the JCHC recommendations seriously and implements many of its recommendations. Mindful of Virginia’s severe budget shortfall, the JCHC considered policy options that would not have budget implications in the upcoming fiscal year. The Commission voted to recommend the following:

• Introduce legislation to address the hosting of underage drinking parties.
• Request by letter of the JCHC Chairman that the Secretary of Health and Human Resources ensure the development of a comprehensive plan for the delivery of behavioral health care services for children, adolescents and their families prior to the 2010 General Assembly Session. The letter would include the request for the plan to be submitted to the Joint Commission by October 1, 2009.
• Strive to increase awareness of Section 125 plans, which enable employees to purchase health insurance policies with pretax dollars, through the following actions:
  • Request by letter of the JCHC Chairman that the Department of Human Resources Management in consultation with the Department of Business Assistance (VDBA) create detailed electronic document highlighting Section 125 benefits; requirements for adoption; COBRA, ERISA, and HIPPA implications; and a simple Section 125 Plan form to post on the VDBA website and on Virginia’s business portal website.
  • Request by letter of the JCHC Chairman that the Virginia Chamber of Commerce inform its membership of Section 125 Plans and associated benefits through its newsletter.
  • Request by letter of the JCHC Chairman that the National Federation of Independent Businesses/Virginia include information on Section 125 Plans as part of the Federation’s Area Action Council meetings with small businesses.
  • Include in the 2009 workplan that the Joint Commission convene a workgroup to compile information needed for an informational website on health insurers to be hosted by Virginia Health Information (VHI) with appropriate linkages on other state websites and address other health insurance issues as appropriate.
• Seek to address critical shortages of health care professionals through the following actions:
  • Request by letter of the JCHC Chairman that the Virginia Board of Medicine save an electronic archive copy of the Doctor’s Profile Database annually.
  • Authorize JCHC staff to conduct joint research with VCOM’s National Center for the Analysis of Healthcare Data in completing the workforce pipeline study (to be reported to JCHC by November 2009).
• Continue study for one additional year to research options for improving “aging at home” services and support for culture change initiatives in Virginia.
• Restore funding for Virginia Caregivers Grant when budget allows.
• Assist local Chambers of Commerce in educating Virginia business owners about caregiver workforce issues and encourage owners to provide caregiver support programs.

I plan to continue to advocate for these and other health related issues during the upcoming legislative session. I look forward to continuing my work on this Commission next year.
 
Governor’s Commission on Immigration
 
As a member of the Governor’s Commission on Immigration, I had the opportunity to hear about how immigration affects the Commonwealth of Virginia from a wide range of perspectives. The Commission’s membership was bicameral and bipartisan, and also included a number of citizen members. Throughout my service on the Commission, I weighed how the Commission’s recommendations would affect individuals and the Commonwealth as a whole. We considered policy options that dealt with the effects of immigration in the areas of employment, health care, and education. We also examined issues surrounding the transition of immigrants into society and the collection of data relating to immigration. The following are some of the recommendations we made to the General Assembly:

• Pass resolutions encouraging the Federal government to
  • Require the Department of Labor to be more responsive to reported SSN discrepancies
  • Increase the number of specific Visas allotted each year in order to help fill shortages in certain occupations.
• Support the use of E-Verify, an online system that allows employers to check the work status of new hires, when it is fully functional and properly funded.
• Remove 40 quarters of employment or connection to military requirements for qualifying Legal Permanent Residents to obtain Medicaid after the five year ban period. There are currently only nine states, including Virginia, that require Legal Permanent Residents to work for 10 years before receiving Medicaid benefits. Adopting this proposal would result in a cost savings to the state, because currently medical costs of these individuals are paid for out of the indigent care fund, which is funded entirely by the State. Under this plan, Medicaid, half of which is funded by the federal government, would pick up these costs.
• Provide additional funding for free clinics and closer partnerships between hospitals and free clinics to divert individuals who are going to emergency departments for non-emergent care.
• Partner with private ESL providers to make English classes more available.
• Require public schools to indicate to the postal service not to forward mailed items, thus preventing false residency claims.
• Offer in-state tuition to students who meet specific requirements that have been vetted by the Attorney General’s Office
• Create an Office of Immigrant Assistance Services within the Department of Social Services to provide assistance to immigrants in obtaining proper documentation.
• Improve data collection by the Department of Corrections regarding country of birth and citizenship of inmates.

As always, I value your input and suggestions, and my staff and I are eager to work with you to address any issues you may have. It is a pleasure representing you, and I hope that you will bring your concerns to my attention throughout the year. Please contact me at 703-303-1426 or senatorbarker@gmail.com. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

George Barker
Senator, 39th District
 
Please contact me, I want to hear from you! My staff and I will do everything we can to help you with problems you may have.  
 
senatorbarker@gmail.com
703-303-1426
PO Box 10527
Alexandria, VA 22310
www.senatorbarker.com

DATE: November 15th
TIME: 11:30 am
LOCATION: Woodbridge High School, Rm. 1309
3001 Old Bridge Rd
Woodbridge, VA 22192
map: http://tinyurl.com/woodbridge-hs

QUESTIONS: Please call 703-303-1426.

www.SenatorBarker.com

New Website

I am pleased to announce that we have recently launched our new website: www.senatorbarker.com. We will be developing it more over the next few weeks. I want you to be aware of what is going on in the 39th District and to be able to easily access information about me and my issues. I hope you will find the new site informative and easy to navigate.

We Remember Joe Gartlan

Last month I attended the funeral of respected leader and dear friend Joe Gartlan. Joe served 28 years in the Virginia Senate before retiring in 2000. At the funeral his grandchildren gave a magnificent prayer that highlighted many of the issues he championed, including the poor and the homeless, the environment and the Chesapeake Bay, those with mental health problems, and civil rights.

Joe was an extraordinary leader who knew both how to fight for what he believed and how to work with others to get things done. I had the privilege of sitting in the Senate gallery with his family when he gave a superb speech announcing his retirement. The measure of the man could be seen last year when, eight years after he stepped down, retiring Republican Senators cited Joe as a person they admired and enjoyed working with. Joe Gartlan served as a mentor to many of us who are now serving in the General Assembly, and he will be remembered for his outstanding service to our communities.

Transportation

Governor Kaine called a Special Session of the General Assembly to deal with transportation funding, a dominant issue for us in Northern Virginia that became even more critical after the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the central funding mechanism of the 2007 transportation bill. The Session was convened in June, recessed after a week, and met for one final day in July. In the Senate we passed a comprehensive transportation plan, but, unfortunately, the House did not pass a comprehensive bill. I spoke with Republicans and tried pushing some things that I thought could get us to 51 votes in the House. Unfortunately, we never found a plan that could get 51 votes on the House floor.

Our Senate plan wasn’t perfect, but I felt it had some good features. It would have stopped, for at least several years, the “stealing” of $1 million a day from construction to cover our maintenance budget shortfall, generated most of the new revenue from transportation sources, provided more new money for Northern Virginia than we paid in taxes, increased taxes on out-of-state drivers, and provided tax relief by eliminating the transportation sales tax on food.

Transit was featured prominently. Of the new state funding, 25 percent would have gone to transit, which is far above the rate of just under 15 percent in the current formula. Largely because we get 73 percent of transit funding, Northern Virginia would have been a net recipient, not a donor region, under the Senate plan, getting about 34 percent of the additional statewide monies while contributing only about 25 percent of the revenues. In addition, we would have had our own regional plan.

A fundamental component of the plan was a gas tax increase of 1 penny per gallon each year for the next six years. Although there was some resistance because gas prices have increased substantially (although they have fallen about 10 percent in the last month), there are several reasons why a gas tax increase was part of the package.  First of all, the gas tax targets those who use the road the most; those who drive the most and those with the heaviest vehicles, and hence do the most damage to our roads, will have to pay the most. It is also important to note that the gas tax is 17.5 cents per gallon, and doesn’t increase when the price of gas goes up. It hasn’t been increased since 1986, at which time the effective gas time was 25%, now it is less than 5%. In addition, out of state and commercial drivers pay about 30% of the gas tax, so Virginia citizens have less of the total tax burden for gas tax than for virtually all other forms of taxation. In addition, only 17 percent of the gas taxes are from sales in Northern Virginia. We also amended the bill to eliminate the 1/2 percent state sales tax on food (used for transportation), which would have given modest income families a tax reduction greater than their increase in gas tax even after the six cent increase would have been complete in six years.

Regrettably, our plan and our logic were not well received in the House of Delegates. I am very disappointed that we were not able to reach a compromise and implement policy solutions that would address our transportation problems. Although I am not naively optimistic, I will work to see if we can reach a solution next year.

Health Care

I attended the second meeting of the Joint Commission on Health Care, and the Behavioral Health Care and the Long-Term Care/Medicaid Reform subcommittees on July 29th. We covered three important topics during the Behavioral Health Care subcommittee: the adolescent and child services the Community Service Boards provide, methods to address substance abuse in Virginia, and underage drinking. During the full committee meeting Executive Director Kim Snead presented the proposed agenda for the next two meetings, which I have included below. If you are interested in attending either of these meetings, please call my office for more details.  I am looking forward to delving deeper into these important health care issues, and hope that my experience in the field will allow me to be a leader in discussions and in formulating recommendations for the General Assembly.

Please note that these are proposed agenda and are subject to updates and revisions.

September 4th

• State Health Commissioner Karen O. Remley, M.D., M.B.A. will discuss her priorities and new initiatives for the Virginia Department of Health Virginia Health Information (VHI) on new initiatives (including COPN planning, issues with the Gardisil vaccine, and update on the rural health plan).
• Discussion of Mental Retardation Waiver Design and Services
• DMHMRSAS review
• Comments of consumers, families, advocates
• JCHC Staff Reports:
  • Study of “alternatives to traditional long-term care facilities, including intentional communities of clustered homes.”; HJR 69 (Delegate Plum) by letter from Delegate Hamilton
  • Continuation of 2006-07 JCHC study on health care costs (SJR 4 in 2006 – Senator Reynolds); Review advisability of: i) establishing a Virginia health insurance exchange targeted for small businesses, ii) increasing employer adoption of Section 125 plans, and iii) any other health insurance issues as deemed appropriate.

October 23rd:

• Report on Establishing a Lead Agency for Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Briefing on the reporting of convictions as required by Code of Virginia § 54.1-2917 (Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia and Virginia Compensation Board)
• Briefing regarding actions taken related to recommendations from the JCHC preterm/low-birth weight study (VDH, DMHMRSAS and DMAS)
• JCHC Staff Reports:
  • Study on “the use of disclosure, apologies, alternative dispute resolution, and other measures in the case of medical errors and adverse medical outcomes and the impact of such measures on the cost and quality of care, patient confidence, and the medical malpractice system.”; HJR 101 (Delegate O’Bannon) by letter from Delegate O’Bannon
  • Study of “support services for family caregivers of the frail elderly and disabled and community-based caregiver support organizations.”; SJR 102 (Senator Stosch)/HJR 238 (Delegate Shannon)
  • Interim report on two-year study of Virginia’s pipeline for the education of physicians, pharmacists, dentists, and clinical psychologists.

National Conference on State Legislatures Legislative Summit

In July I participated in the National Conference of State Legislatures Legislative Summit. Legislators from across the nation met to discuss issues that states are facing, including infrastructure and transportation problems, immigration, health and mental health care, environmental concerns, and energy policy. Throughout the conference I attended seminars and engaged in discussions with legislators on both sides of the political aisle about issues pertinent to our district. I hope that this experience will provide important insights into how other states are handling the problems that the 39th District is facing and will help me to promote better policy here in Virginia. Throughout the week, I sought out legislators who have been working on legislation similar to what I am pushing. Pennsylvania’s Republican Speaker of the House Dennis O’Brien’s presentation about how they passed legislation to mandate health insurance coverage for autism, information on the financial success of high speed rail in Europe (it more than pays for itself!), and a discussion of how Minnesota incorporated mental health care services in health reform were particularly insightful.

Legislation for 2009

I am working on developing legislation to address a wide variety of issues in next year’s legislative session. I plan to revisit many of the issues I tackled last year, including school construction funding options, HOT lanes, the protection of voting rights and the promotion of healthy foods in schools. Additionally, I am pursuing legislation to implement comprehensive policies in schools for handling students with food allergies, to assist parents of children with autism, and to encourage energy and resource conservation. If you have any legislative proposals you wish me to consider, please get in touch.

Conclusion

As always, I value your input and suggestions, and my staff and I are eager to work with you to address any issues you may have. Please contact us with your thoughts and ideas.

Sincerely,
George Barker
Senator, 39th District