Columns

    The second to last week of session is ordinarily one of the busiest.  Both House and Senate Committees have to finish work on the bills that have been assigned to them during this week, to ensure there is sufficient time for legislation to be debated in the respective chambers and – if there are differences – negotiated by committees of conference.

    Meetings are often really boring affairs. The one Bedford County’s Republicans held two weeks ago, however, was certainly anything but boring. I love a good political fight and these guys did not disappoint me. It was a truly entertaining gathering.
    I usually don’t go to political party meetings, but the Republicans have held a couple in the last six months that were significant. I went to this one because they were going to choose the method of selecting Republican nominees for local offices in this fall’s election.

Some have called it a “well-intentioned flop” while others say it’s an anti-competitive government mandate, but whatever you call the ethanol mandate, or Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), it’s clear this policy has caused many negative consequences for American consumers.

By Sen. Steve Newman
23rd District

    This weekend the Senate Finance Committee released their new state budget.  The measure was presented to the sub-committee chairmen and approved by the full Senate Finance Committee on which I am honored to serve. It represents the Commonwealth’s budget for the next two years.