STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR KAINE

~ On adjournment of 2008 General Assembly session ~

RICHMOND - Governor Timothy M. Kaine today issued the following statement upon adjournment of the 2008 General Assembly session:  

"I congratulate the members of the General Assembly on completion of a successful 2008 session. Together, we accomplished a great deal, despite a difficult economy. Virginians can take pride in mental health reforms, improvements in early childhood education, including expansion of the Virginia Preschool Initiative, increased investment in higher education, measures to protect the environment, and economic development initiatives.

"I am particularly pleased with the Assembly's approval today of our higher education bond package, which makes a record investment in Virginia's higher education institutions. The bond package also includes much-needed money to improve open space and expand the state park system. These improvements are essential to our citizens' well-being and to our environment.

"Unfortunately, the General Assembly was not supportive of all of our efforts to clean and protect the environment, including measures to create a voluntary reporting system for greenhouse gas emissions, to set a higher standard for energy-efficient green buildings, and to codify a goal of increasing energy conservation. Taken together, these items would have gone a long way toward protecting and cleaning our environment.

"One issue remains unresolved.  In the coming weeks, I will be meeting with legislators and stakeholders about much-needed funding for transportation. I will call the legislature back into special session in the coming months to approve a transportation funding package that will move Virginia forward.

"I look forward to continuing our bipartisan efforts to address our transportation needs."

The General Assembly reconvened on April 23rd, a beautiful spring day in Richmond, to consider the Governor's proposed amendments to 2008 legislation. The Virginia League of Conservation Voters took positions on four of these amendments. Some of these amendments represented important measures that the conservation community fought for during the regular session, only to come up short, while others contained potentially harmful language that needed to be defeated.

Conservation Success
With the state's tight fiscal situation, many important programs saw their funding cut during the 2008 General Assembly session. One such program was the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF). Amendment #16 to HB 30 (the biennium budget) restored $525,000 in funding which will allow VOF to maintain its current level of service to landowners seeking conservation easements. Donating conservation easements through VOF remains the most cost effective method for Virginia to conserve the land most important to its citizens. This amendment was approved by both the House and Senate.

While the Governor's effort to incorporate goals for reducing the growth rate of energy demand by 40% consistent with the State Energy Plan may have been his primary objective, other language in the amendment to SB 596 could have interfered with the Northern Virginia Transmission Line case currently pending before the State Corporation Commission (SCC). The SCC would have been limited to reviewing only conservation or energy efficiency evidence provided by the utility company, regardless of the other efficiency programs implemented in the Commonwealth. This change could have prejudiced pending and future applications in favor of the utilities. After sharing our concerns with legislators and the Administration, the Governor removed support for the amendment and it was defeated in the Senate. Thanks to many of you, our activists, who contacted their Senators and Delegates this week to oppose this amendment.

Weakened "Green" Building Standards
Unfortunately, not all of the Governor's good amendments were approved by the legislature. Amendment #5 to HB 30 sought to make LEED the sole green certification standard for the construction of new state buildings. LEED standards require energy efficiency measures and third party verification. The alternative to LEED, "Green Globes," is a weaker standard that weakens Executive Order 48. Despite the superiority of the LEED standard, this amendment was defeated in the House of Delegates on a 44-54 vote. (Link to vote will be posted here when it becomes available - most likely the morning of April 24th.)

Energy Commission vs. Greenhouse Gases
SB 464 establishes the Virginia Commission on Energy and the Environment. One of the Governor's amendments to SB 464 would have moved Virginia forward in the fight against global warming, by increasing voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting from stationary and transportation sources, the largest and fastest growing source of GHG. Unfortunately, it was clear that these amendments would not pass and the patron, Sen. Whipple, feared they could have caused SB 464 to be derailed entirely, threatening the establishment of the Commission itself. As such, Sen. Whipple asked that the amendment be defeated.

This year's "Veto" session provided some promising steps in the right direction for conservation. But, it also serves as a reminder of how much work still needs to be done to ensure that Virginia's land, air and water is protected for generations to come.

Look for a broad overview of the 2008 General Assembly session in the VALCV Conservation Scorecard which will be release this summer.

Conservation E-Action Virginia is a project of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.