Dear Friend,  

Summer is here! As always, we want to keep up to date with you in the 34th District and hear from you on any of your concerns. Thank you all for your continued input, advice, and support.

Congrats To New Eagle Scouts

Yesterday, I was pleased to attend Great Falls Troop 55's Eagle Scout ceremony. Congratulations to all six Eagle Scouts who received this great honor: Clayton Barber, Brad Hodge, Kevin McCormick, Garrett Pan, Grant Smith, and John Studabaker. 

Troop 55's Scoutmaster and I congratulate the achievements of the new Eagle Scouts. Pictured from left to right: Gary Pan, myself, Clayton Barber, Brad Hodge, and Kevin McCormick.

Bill Signings Of Major High Tech Legislation

On Tuesday, May 29, Governor Bob McDonnell ceremonially signed three of my bills to make Virginia more competitive in creating and retaining high-tech jobs at the grand opening for the new Acentia headquarters in Fairfax. My bills expand a data center sales tax exemption, encourage investment in technology startups, and extend the Virginia telework tax credit. These bills signed by the governor will help Virginia attract, retain, and grow more companies like Acentia, which just brought 60 jobs to Falls Church. 

Virginia starts from a position of strength in attracting and retaining high-tech jobs and employers. We have to constantly build on this success by listening to our business community and working with them to create a pro-jobs environment that rewards innovation and promotes prosperity for all. The legislation signed by the governor demonstrates to employers and employees in the high-tech industry that we have leadership in Richmond that will work side by side with them to keep Virginia the #1 state for jobs.

  

Proposed EZ Pass Additional Fees 

Over the past month, I have heard from many of you about your opposition to the proposed EZ Pass $1 per month fee per transponder which has been floated as a way to pay for increasing administrative and operational expenses of the EZ pass program. I share your concerns and do oppose this additional fee. My colleagues and I have expressed our concerns to the Governor's office and to the Virginia Transportation Secretary, Sean Connaughton, who chairs the Commonwealth Transportation Board. 

MWAA Finally Complies With The Law On Union Mandates and McLean's Caren Merrick Appointed To MWAA Board. 

On Wednesday, June 6th, the MWAA Board finally voted to comply with Virginia law and remove the project labor agreement union mandates on Dulles Rail. My bill, The Fair and Open Competition in Government Contracting Act (H.B. 33) requires neutrality in government contracting and forbids union preferences. Promoting competition will bring down costs on our infrastructure projects and ensure that Virginia's 96% non-union workforce gets to compete for these jobs on a level playing field. I received the Virginia Chamber's "Free Enterprise Award" for my work on the PLA bill. In related news, McLean's Caren Merrick has been appointed to a seat on the MWAA Board. Caren will be a great voice for Virginia taxpayers and will bring common sense business practices to the Board. 

Fairfax Chamber Chairman's Luncheon   

On Wednesday, June 20th, I had the pleasure of attending the 2012 Outstanding Corporate Citizenship Awards Luncheon hosted by the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. Congratulations to Sidney Dewberry and John Toups who were honored with the James M. Rees Award for Lifetime Achievement. Both Mr. Dewberry and Mr. Toups are great leaders who have made vast contributions to our business, philanthropic, and education communities. Congratulations also to Karin's Florist, the winner of small business "Corporate Citizen of the Year" award and all other award recipients. 

 

And congratulations to Terry Jones, President and CEO of Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts for the NOVAForward Award. WolfTrap's summer season is in full swing now with great upcoming events and performances. To see WolfTrap's complete calendar,click here. 

 

Loudoun County Annual Good Scout Award Dinner

I was pleased to attend the 13th Annual Loudoun County Good Scout Award Dinner on Friday, May 18th at the National Conference Center. Congratulations to this year's "Good Scout Honoree," John Wood. The award was presented by the National Capital Area Council Boy Scouts of America.