Del. Greason (photo from Richmond Times Dispatch)

Children with autism could have a key treatment covered by insurance by the end of this year under a measure heading to the House of Delegates.

The bill, sponsored by Del. Thomas A. “Tag” Greason, R-Loudoun, is intended to address technical issues with the autism insurance mandate legislation passed during last year’s session that have delayed implementation.

Greason’s bill gives the Board of Medicine the power to promulgate the regulations that legislators asked them to last year, and directs them to do it within 280 days. It also creates a work group of industry experts to help the board with the regulations.

The measure carries an emergency clause, which would speed it through the General Assembly to the governor’s desk. Emergency legislation, which takes effect upon the governor’s signature, requires the approval of 80 percent of lawmakers in each chamber.

The House’s Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee approved the measure 21-0 Tuesday.

“The governor has said he’s going to sign it as soon as he gets it on his desk,” Greason said.

Some advocates are disappointed that an effort to cover care between now and when the regulations are completed was unsuccessful.

“I can’t imagine having a four-year-old with autism and finding out I have to wait another year,” said John W. Maloney, an advocate of the insurance mandate. “The treatment window is already narrow.”

Teresa Champion, president of the Virginia Autism Project, said she also would have liked some interim fix but that she’s thankful some legislation is moving forward.

“We just want therapy in the hands of families,” she said.

Legislation passed last year requires health insurers to cover some treatments for autistic children ages 2 to 6, with a cap on annual coverage costs of $35,000. It does not apply to self-insured companies and would exempt businesses with 50 or fewer employees.

It covers state employees and the $1 million reserved to cover increased premiums that the state would pay for state workers is still earmarked.

The law was intended to take effect this month, but the attorney general’s office concluded that the state Board of Medicine did not have the power to create the regulations as asked. Greason’s measure, House Bill 1106, is expected come before the House of Delegates for a final vote Friday.

Richmond Times-Dispatch © Copyright 2012 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. A Media General company.

The annual session is designed to allow residents to bring their problems to legislators before the General Assembly convenes on Jan. 11.

Those legislators planning to attend include incumbent Sens. Mark Herring (D- 33rd) and Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-27th) and Dels. Barbara Comstock (R-34th), Thomas “Tag” Greason (R-32nd), Jim LeMunyon (R-67th), Joe May (R-33rd) and Tom Rust (R-86th). Newly-elected Dels. David Ramadan (R-87th) and Randy Minchew (R-10th) are also scheduled to attend.

The session will be held at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg. Those who would like to speak can sign up in advance by 6:30 p.m.

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I remain committed to the real issues at hand for the people of the 32nd District, Loudoun County and the great Commonwealth of Virginia. I join Governor McDonnell, RPV Chairman Mullins and candidates across Loudoun County in repudiating this message. I will continue to focus on jobs, transportation and education in a positive and thoughtful manner.”

~ Tag

The past four years have seen public controversies over water protection measures and construction of a second hospital, arguments over school funding and economic development, cuts across departments because of falling property values and an increase in the tax rate. Whoever is elected Nov. 8 is likely to be tested in ways we can’t even imagine yet.

While we have no desire to supersede a voter’s self-education with our take on the respective races, the Times-Mirror has a history of taking careful stock of our elected officials and providing our recommendations to voters. Here are our endorsements.

Virginia House of Delegates

With a strong Republican majority and recent redistricting, the House of Delegates is unlikely to change parties this term. However, the redistricting process did yield increased representation for Northern Virginia, hopefully enough to unclog the logjam over transportation issues that have plagued the region for decades. Loudoun will be voting on seven members of the House of Delegates.

In the 10th District, Republican Randy Minchew receives our endorsement. Already possessing statesmanlike demeanor, Minchew has credentials in Richmond as former legal advisor to Gov. Bob McDonnell and extensive local experience. A former chairman of the Loudoun Economic Development Council and a tireless volunteer, this Leesburg land attorney has the ability to move Loudoun issues forward on the state level. His Democratic opponent, Leesburg Town Council member Dave Butler is likewise a serious candidate with mature views. However, his localized experience may not provide him with the same level of knowledge or access in Richmond as Minchew.

Pamela Danner (D) is our choice in the 34th District. With an impressive list of board and volunteer experience, she has articulated a more moderate approach toward Dulles Rail and impressed us with her energy and knowledge of local issues. Her opponent, incumbent Republican Barbara Comstock should be credited for her pro-business legislation but may not be as keyed in to local issues as her opponent.

Jim LeMunyon (R) has distinguished himself during his first term, particularly in regards to his fresh approach to accountability, transportation funding and public education.  He receives our endorsement to continue in Richmond, representing the 67th District. While his opponent Eric Clingan (D) has identified the important issues in his district, we’d like to see his potential solutions expanded.

Two first-time candidates are vying in the 87th District. We were taken by the energy and depth of understanding demonstrated by Mike Kondratick (D). Kondratick’s work as a grassroots organizer for juvenile diabetes should provide him a foothold into the under-discussed health needs in Virginia. Alternatively, Republican candidate David Ramadan has a truly American story as a successful first generation immigrant from Lebanon. While promising, Ramadan’s position on the issues feels more like the straight party position rather than one of someone who is investigating new solutions.

There are three incumbent Republicans running unopposed in Loudoun Districts: Tag Greason (32nd District), Joe May (33rd District) and Tom Rust (86th District). Each of these candidates has demonstrated an independent streak and an ability to move important legislation through the General Assembly. In addition to being unopposed, we believe that each deserves an additional term to continue their work in the legislature.

These endorsements were decided on by the editorial board of the Loudoun Times-Mirror after countless hours of race coverage and review of the candidates’ positions. As with any election, we encourage readers to educate themselves on the candidates and make the choices which best fits their own views and priorities. The Loudoun Times-Mirror Voters’ Guide is available for this purpose at Loudountimes.com.

Loudoun Times Mirror, October 26, 2011 (LTM story >>)

But that county council candidate who got the nod from the local Democrats? The aspiring sheriff backed by the GOP? If voters can’t remember the candidates’ party affiliations, the ballot won’t clue them in.

“It is something that does perplex voters,” said Matthew Abell, who works in election administration at the Virginia State Board of Elections. “I know from going through past election years, the calls from citizens who say, ‘My ballot was wrong. Party ID wasn’t present in my local races. It just stopped halfway down.’ ”

Under state election law, ballots list party affiliation only for federal, statewide and General Assembly races. The idea is that omitting the party designation helps keep partisan politics out of local races.

But in reality, candidates for local offices file as Republicans and Democrats and tout party endorsements in campaign literature. By law, school board offices are nonpartisan, so those candidates must file as independents. Even so, school board candidates can and do collect and advertise party endorsements.

“That horse has already left the barn,” said Del. Thomas A. “Tag” Greason (R-Loudoun), who this year introduced a bill to list party affiliation for local races across the state. The bill died in a House subcommittee, even after it was amended to cover only Loudoun County.

“As I would go door to door during my campaigns, people will say, ‘Hey, how come there’s an R next to your name and a D next to [Sen.] Mark Herring’s name, but I have no idea what’s going on with the supervisors?’ ” Greason said. “It’s just more information. People can use it however they want to use it. Providing the information shouldn’t be a bad thing.”

Greason said opponents of his bill told him: “ ‘We don’t want to make our local races so politically charged.’ I thought to myself, ‘When was the last time you saw a local race?’ ”

Before 2000, when the law changed. Virginia ballots did not list party affiliation for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general or General Assembly candidates either.

Martha Brissette, policy analyst for the state elections board, noted that some parts of Virginia have historically tried to distance local races from state and national politics by scheduling municipal elections in May instead of November.

“Some cities and towns now have the option to move [elections] to November,” Brissette said. “People that like them in May express concern, ‘Well, that will make them partisan.’ ”

Some say partisan politics is precisely what’s behind objections to adding party affiliation to down-ballot races.

Del. Harry R. “Bob” Purkey (R-Virginia Beach) led the successful push more than a decade ago to identify statewide and General Assembly candidates by party. He said opposition to his bill mostly came from Democrats, who for decades had dominated state politics and didn’t want party affiliation to show up on ballots just as their brand was fading.

“One party basically controlled the state for years and years, and they saw very clearly it was becoming more of a two-party area,” Purkey said. “They thought it was to their advantage not to have party affiliation, and they fought it like anything.”

The measure just squeaked by, Purkey said, and only because he had persuaded a conservative Democratic friend to make a strategic trip to the restroom to avoid voting with his party.

There have been several attempts over the years to expand party affiliation to local races, including Greason’s bill last year. Greason said he intends to bring the matter up again.

“Consistency matters in so many different issues,” Greason said. “Why aren’t we being consistent in that regard?”

Washington Post, October 25, 2011 (Wash Post story >>)

By Laura Vozzella

A political action committee for Northern Virginia technology interests has endorsed 35 state House and Senate candidates — some of them Democrats, some Republicans.

Before giving anyone the nod, the Northern Virginia Technology Council’s TechPAC spent six months reviewing each candidate’s voting record and positions on matters important to the industry.

“Over the past six months, the NVTC TechPAC Board of Trustees devoted substantial time and effort toward evaluating candidates seeking to represent Northern Virginia’s technology business community as members of Northern Virginia’s General Assembly Delegation,” NVTC TechPAC Chairman Dendy Young, chairman and CEO of McLean Capital LLC, said in a prepared statement Friday.

“While we did not engage in every race, we have endorsed these 35 candidates, all of whom we believe will support issues of importance to our technology community and champion policies and investments to promote a stronger Commonwealth,” he said.

The Senate candidates endorsed by the group are Shawn Mitchell, Jill Holtzman Vogel, Charles Colgan, Caren Merrick, Janet Howell, Mark Herring, Chap Petersen, Dick Saslaw, Toddy Puller, Dave Marsden and George Barker.

The House of Delegates candidates areScott Lingamfelter, Tag Greason, Joe May, Barbara Comstock, Mark Keam, Ken Plum, David Bulova, Kaye Kory, Vivian Watts, Tim Hugo, Eileen Filler-Corn, Dave Albo, Mark Sickles, Scott Surovell, David Englin, Charniele Herring, Bob Brink, Jackson Miller, Rich Anderson, Luke Torian, Jim Scott, Jim LeMunyon, Tom Rust and David Ramadan.

Posted at 11:29 AM ET, 09/30/2011

Story Link >>