Please join me for a Town Hall Meeting this upcoming Saturday, February 4th. I will be joined by Del. Kaye Kory of the 38th House District at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School. We will be providing a progress report on the happenings at the General Assembly.

I look forwarded to seeing you there.

When:
Saturday, February 4, 2012
10:00AM – 12:00PM

Where:
Sleepy Hollow Elementary School
3333 Sleepy Hollow Road
Falls Church, VA 22044 (Map)

Please continue checking back for updates on the 2012 session. You may also sign up for email updates by clicking here. If you’re interested in tracking the progress of particular bills in the General Assembly, please visit Virginia’s Legislative Information Services.

Sincerely,

Sincerely,

“I am honored to have the support of my colleagues,” said Senator Saslaw. He added, “With a 20-20 split in the Senate, our caucus will continue fighting for Virginia families to make sure that job creation, improving our schools, and transportation solutions will be priorities next session.”

The Virginia General Assembly will begin its 2012 Session on January 11.  To get the latest news from Richmond, sign up for Dick Saslaw’s e-mail newsletter and join him on Facebook.

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I cannot thank you enough for all of the support you have given me and Senate Democrats this year. I am honored to have the privilege of serving Northern Virginia in the state Senate for another four years and I will keep fighting for all of Virginia’s families . By working together, I know that we can continue to bring jobs to Virginia, invest in our public schools, and solve our transportation needs.

Every phone call, door knock, and dollar you contributed made the difference and put some of the most competitive senate races over the top. We proved the political pundits wrong, and won a number of key races across Virginia. Once again thank you for commitment to my leadership efforts. My door is always open, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Since the 2007 elections, when they gained a narrow majority in the upper house of Virginia’s General Assembly, Senate Democrats have been the grown-ups in Richmond. The role was forced on them by House Republicans, who have sent over waves of reckless legislation.

Senate Democrats defeated a House attempt to force Virginia colleges and universities to allow students and faculty to carry guns on campus and a bill to repeal the state’s 20-year-old law limiting individuals to one handgun purchase a month. They killed legislation targeting illegal immigrants that would have plunged Virginia into the same bitter debates and federal litigation that have ensnared Arizona and Alabama. They rejected a bill that would have outlawed abortion in Virginia by granting fetuses legal rights and another that would have forced welfare recipients to undergo drug screenings. They halted Republican attempts to raid scarce funds for public schools and colleges.

All that is cause for worry about the consequences of a GOP takeover of the Senate in statewide elections Nov. 8. So is the pledge that many (though not all) Republican candidates have taken to oppose any new taxes, a stance that would condemn Northern Virginia to a future of steadily worsening traffic gridlock.

Northern Virginia has just one sitting Republican senator, which suggests the region’s voters have found the latest generation of Republicans too extreme, partisan or divorced from state and local issues. Unfortunately, in our view, that remains the case in most of the Senate races. The following candidates, listed in bold type, are our picks.

DISTRICT 35: Richard L. Saslaw, the Democratic majority leader in the Senate, is one of the most consequential politicians in the state, a garrulous straight talker and a master of the trade-offs required to make policy and pass legislation. He faces only nominal opposition from Republican Robert Sarvis, a high-tech entrepreneur with no political experience, and an obscure independent candidate. The district is in eastern Fairfax County.

Click here to read the full list of endorsements.

The rain is already here and conditions will worsen as Irene heads north up the coast. Heavier rain and winds are expected to start at about 6 p.m. tonight. Please be prepared for power outages. I want to provide you with important contact information in the event that you lose power, or need to get the latest emergency news from local government officials. Below are the phone numbers and links to the relevant emergency resources, I encourage you to print them out and have them on hand. This extreme weather must be taken seriously.

Stay safe,

Senator Dick Saslaw
35th District
Senate Majority Leader

Utility Contact Info

Dominion:  If you lose power, please call  at 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357)

NOVEC:  If you have NOVEC service and need assistance, call (703) 335-0500.

VDOT:  For road obstructions, call 1-800-FOR-ROAD (1-800-367-7623)

Government Emergency Resources

Fairfax County: Please call 703-817-7771 or visit http://fairfaxcountyemergency.wordpress.com/

Falls Church: Please call 703-248-5200 or visit http://www.fallschurchva.gov/

City of Alexandria: Please call 703-746-HELP (4357) or visit http://alexandriava.gov/

Virginia Emergency Management: For statewide updates please visit http://www.vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia or call 804-897-6506

Monitor the progress of Irene by clicking on this link.

Stay safe,

You can monitor the progress of Irene by clicking here.

Step #1: Make A Disaster Kit

During periods of extreme weather conditions, households should prepare for the loss of power or a potential evacuation with an emergency kit. Here are some essential items to include in your kit.

-3-day supply of non-perishable foods

-Plenty of bottled water

-A battery-powered radio

-Flashlights and extra batteries

-First aid kit

-Food for pets

-Extra clothing

Step #2: Create A Plan

In the event of a storm emergency, it is helpful to have a plan in place. Below are some suggestions about what to cover in your family’s plan.

-Figure out how you will communicate with family members if you are in different locations at the time of the emergency

-Establish clear evacuation plans

-Identify a safe room inside your home

-Plan what to do with your pets should you need to evacuate

-You may be required to shut off utilities into your home during a disaster. Figure out how you will your manage your water, natural gas, and electricity

-Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, propane tanks, and garbage cans

-Prepare your generator for use

Step #3: Stay Informed

-Stay on top of the latest storm developments

-Be aware of information from local emergency officials

- Below are some valuable online resources to utilize during hurricane season

VA Department of Emergency Management:
http://www.vaemergency.com/readyvirginia/stayinformed/hurricanes

National Weather Service:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/prepare.shtml

Federal Emergency Management Agency:

http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes

Road construction crews from the Federal Highway Administration-Eastern Lands Highway Division and the City of Alexandria are making short-term transportation improvements around the Mark Center to prepare for 6,400 Defense Department employees scheduled to arrive by the end of 2011.

There are six short term improvements that will relive some of the immediate congestion on the local roads in 2013

These improvements include:

• Ramp widening on northbound I-395 exit at Seminary Road and turn-lane reconfiguration at the Seminary Road/I-395 rotary.
• Median removal on Seminary Road west of I-395
• Intersection/turn lane modification at Beauregard Street and Seminary Road
• Turn-lane expansion at Mark Center Drive and Seminary Road
• A pedestrian bridge from Southern Towers over Seminary Road to Mark Center
• On-ramp expansion from Seminary Road to I-395 south

The work that can be accomplished within existing right-of-way and is located predominately on the east side of I-95 is Phase I, and improvements on the western portion, including Beauregard Street and the pedestrian bridge are considered Phase II.

Phase I, estimated to cost between $5-6 million is scheduled to be completed in early 2013. Phase II is estimated to cost between $12-14 million and is scheduled to be completed in late 2013. The projects are funded by the Department of Defense and will be managed by the Federal Highway Administration-Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division.

The proposed ramp linking the HOV lanes to Seminary Road will provide a needed transit link to the Mark Center by providing efficient access to transit and HOV vehicles originating south of the Mark Center. The improved access offered by the ramp will encourage ride sharing and transit use to the Mark Center and ease forecasted severe traffic congestion on I-395 south of the Mark Center. An environmental assessment will be underway this summer. This ramp, estimated to cost $80 million, is tentatively scheduled to be completed in 2015-2016.

I hope you are having a safe and enjoyable summer. As the summer winds down, it is time to start thinking about going back to school in the fall. Many of our college students will be heading back to their respective colleges and universities in the next couple of weeks. With the start of the academic year quickly approaching, many households will be stocking up on much-needed school supplies.

I would like to let you know that Virginia will be having its annual tax holiday for school supplies and clothing from Friday, August 5th – Sunday, August 7th. During this three-day period, purchases of qualifying school supplies selling for $20 or less per item, and purchases of qualifying clothing and footwear selling for $100 or less per item will be exempt from the state sales tax.

Please visit the Virginia Department of Taxation website to view the full list of items eligible for the upcoming sales tax holiday.

http://www.tax.virginia.gov/

I hope that many Virginia families will take advantage of this year’s Tax Holiday. I encourage you to share this cost-saving information with your friends and neighbors.

Sincerely,