CREATING JOBS = JOB #1

Since being elected in 2009, Delegate Comstock has made Jobs her #1 priority. She has worked with her colleagues to turn a $6 billion deficit into a surplus, without raising taxes. She has also focused on business friendly tax incentives, which have resulted in Virginia being named the "Top State for Business" by CNBC. Unemployment has also decreased to 6% in Virginia, which is the seventh lowest in the country.

Delegate Comstock’s support for and focus on jobs and the economy has earned her the endorsements of job creators and entrepreneurs throughout the District. She has been endorsed by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce’s NOVABizPAC, the Northern Virginia Technology Council’s TechPAC, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Associated Builders and Contractors and the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association among others, as well as many business leaders throughout Northern Virginia and the Commonwealth. Read more about some of these endorsements here.

HB 1447, Research and Development Tax Credit: Delegate Comstock was the Chief Co-Sponsor of a Research and Development tax credit bill, which brought us in line with over 30 states, which already have this credit. This bill, which passed with broad bi-partisan support, will help companies bring new technologies to the market. As The Washington Post reported, members of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Virginia Biotechnology Association called this measure a "resounding win."

HB 2197, Telework Tax Credit: Comstock’s Telework bill, which passed overwhelmingly, will grant employers a tax credit for expenses incurred in developing and implementing telework arrangements for employees. The bill is both a family-friendly work policy as well as a transportation congestion solution. It was supported by the Northern Virginia Technology Council, which has long been a leader in promoting telework policies, as well as by the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Small Business Partnership. Read an Op-Ed that Comstock wrote earlier this year about the benefits of teleworking.

HB 2052, Secret Ballot Protection: Delegate Tim Hugo and Delegate Barbara Comstock introduced legislation to require the use of secret ballots in any union election and to prohibit the so called "card check" method of union elections which could force unions on a workplace without individuals having the right to vote in private. Because of federal regulatory agencies trying to impose unionization by regulation, Hugo and Comstock introduced this measure to protect Virginia workers and workplaces. When the U.S. Congress tried to eliminate the right to a secret ballot through the card check bill, even liberal icons like George McGovern called it "a disturbing and undemocratic overreach." George McGovern has noted that there are many documented cases where workers have been "pressured, harassed, tricked and intimidated into signing cards" that then lead to unionized workplaces. While HR 2052 passed in the House of Delegates with bipartisan support, the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee did not vote out this worker protection measure.

Barbara’s family is a family of educators. Her mother was a lifetime teacher and school administrator. Her husband, Chip, has served in Fairfax County schools for over a quarter century as a math teacher at Langley and McLean high schools and now, as an Assistant Principal at Oakton High School. Her sister was a counselor at McLean High School. She understands the sacrifice and commitment made by our teachers and educators who have had their salaries frozen while their classroom sizes and workloads increase.

HB 2510, Higher Education Act of 2011: Comstock was a co-patron of a major Higher Education bill, which was passed unanimously in the General Assembly. This initiative will enable our institutions to meet the goal of issuing an additional 100,000 degrees over the next 15 years, making Virginia one of the most highly educated states in the nation and providing our state with a workforce that will attract top jobs. Based on this legislation, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors is poised to add nearly 1,000 new spaces for in-state students that will help many of our top students in Northern Virginia get into our top schools. Other Virginia colleges and universities will be providing additional in-state slots. The legislation also places a greater emphasis on high demand science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects through the formation of a public-private partnership that will engage the business and professional community in leveraging best practices for K-12 and higher education.

HB 2204, Teacher Bonus: Comstock introduced legislation this year that would have allowed local school divisions to have the flexibility to use any unexpended state funds to provide a one-time bonus to all teachers of up to three percent of the annual base salary. The House Appropriations Committee incorporated this into the proposed House budget at a bonus rate of 2 percent where it obtained strong bipartisan support. This bill was modeled on a bonus given last year to state employees when they identified savings in the existing budget. While this year’s similar measure for teachers had strong bipartisan support in the House, the Senate opposed providing flexibility to use this option, and it was not included in the final budget.

2010 Session, Local Composite Index Issue (LCI): During the 2010 Legislative Session, Delegate Comstock joined the Northern Virginia delegation in opposing Governor Kaine’s proposed budget that included an unprecedented and arbitrary freeze of the LCI which is used to determine the share of state education funds and is recalculated and updated every two years. To reverse decades of practice was simply bad public policy, fundamentally unfair, and would have cost Northern Virginia $120 million in order to save the state $29 million. This was a top priority issue that occupied many Northern Virginia Delegates, including Comstock, in the first weeks of the session. She worked with PTAs, parents, and the local business community in the 34th District to reverse this action. Our high quality schools are integral to attracting top businesses. The Delegation also wrote a joint a letter to Governor McDonnell urging him to back the move to unfreeze the LCI and supported budget amendments to undo this proposal. Comstock worked with the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, members of his Cabinet, and staff about this issue. Delegate Comstock participated in one of the first rallies to oppose the LCI Freeze here in the District at Churchill Road Elementary School where she spoke about the importance of this issue for our community.

All Day Kindergarten: Delegate Comstock worked with parents and school leaders in our community to bring all day kindergarten to all of Fairfax County schools. It was profoundly unfair that 37 schools in Fairfax only had half the kindergarten program that the rest of the students around the county and state receive. Fairfax County parents were dutifully paying their taxes - some of the highest in the county and state - and those revenues were providing all day kindergarten for children throughout most of the county and state. Yet, Fairfax County kindergarten children were denied equal treatment and told to wait... and wait for some undetermined time when they would be treated equally. Comstock worked with school officials and parents to emphasize the need to implement all day kindergarten in the next school year instead of continuing to drag out the full implementation for two or three years as had been previously planned.

HJ 916, Commending Fairfax County Schools: Delegate Comstock introduced a resolution commending Fairfax County Schools that receive the Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence, Board of Education Excellence Award, and Board of Education Competence to Excellence Award.

HELPING THE DISABLED COMMUNITY

SB 1486, Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Trust Fund: The General Assembly passed legislation to fund the transition of people with serious mental and developmental disabilities from centralized hospital-type settings into community-based care centers. The legislation permits $30 million to be transferred into the existing trust fund to finance the modernization of community-based centers, and it also calls for the development of a transition plan where it is feasible. The bill heads off a potentially costly federal lawsuit. However, it is also clear that many families still will need services in an institutional setting. Delegate Comstock believes it is important that families and individuals have these choices to provide for some of the most vulnerable citizens in our community.  

QUALITY OF LIFE

HJ 643, Lyme Disease Awareness Month: Delegate Comstock passed a resolution to permanently designate May as Lyme Disease awareness month in Virginia. The resolution was passed by both the House of Delegates and the Senate unanimously and will help to raise awareness about this debilitating disease. Delegate Comstock is committed to helping to ensure that people living in high risk areas know how to protect themselves and their children and get the medical treatments they need. Delegate Comstock had the opportunity to present the resolution to Monte Skall, the Executive Director of The National Capital Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Association, with a copy of House Joint Resolution 643 at the 1st Annual Loudoun Lyme 5K in May.

Formed First House of Delegates Arts Caucus: Delegate Comstock established the House of Delegates Arts Caucus in 2011 and held the inaugural meeting this spring. There was a great turnout of arts advocates from around the state and a strong Northern Virginia representation. The mission of the caucus is to promote and work with the local arts community in the respective districts of each Delegate to highlight and support their programs and performances and promote their efforts with the business community and the donor community. The arts have always been a valued part of the Northern Virginia community and Delegate Comstock believes that a thriving arts community is vital to enhancing the economic vitality of our entire region.

HJ 655, 783, and 784: Delegate Comstock passed three resolutions commending Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, the McLean Orchestra and the McLean Youth Orchestra. Both Wolf Trap and the McLean Orchestra are celebrating their 40th anniversaries this year. A special Center Aisle presentation in the House of Delegates was also held this year to commend Wolf Trap and present the resolution to Karen Pittleman, Director of Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and Terre Jones, President and CEO of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.

HJ 860, Fairfax County Park Authority: Delegate Comstock passed a resolution commending the Fairfax County Park Authority for receiving the 2010 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management, the parks and recreation industry's highest honor.  

ENERGY

Offshore Drilling: During the 2010 Legislative Session Delegate Comstock and the General Assembly passed legislation, which was signed by Governor McDonnell, to allow for exploration and drilling off the coast of Virginia to go forward. In addition to this, Delegate Comstock introduced HB 900, which was incorporated into HB 756 to allocate 80% of future offshore royalties and revenues to transportation and the remaining 20% to the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium, which researches and develops renewable energy solutions. This bill was a critical component for both energy independence and providing for a dedicated revenue stream for much needed transportation funds for Northern Virginia.

In March of 2010 Delegate Comstock joined 52 of her colleagues in the House of Delegates in sending a letter to Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Ken Salazar, urging Secretary Salazar and the administration to move forward in allowing Virginia to begin environmentally responsible offshore energy exploration and development. It is significant that the effort to move forward with environmentally safe offshore drilling received strong bipartisan support in the General Assembly, from the majority of Virginia’s Congressional Delegation, and from Virginia’s two Senators, Mark Warner and Jim Webb.

Following the passage of the legislation to allow for exploration and drilling off the coast of Virginia, President Obama announced that Virginia would be the first state on the East Coast to explore for and produce natural gas and oil offshore. This would provide thousands of new jobs, hundreds of millions in new state revenue, and a long-term source of revenue for our transportation needs. It would also make Virginia a key partner in moving the country towards energy independence. While the President then imposed the drilling moratorium in June 2010, Senators Warner and Webb recently introduced The Virginia Outer Continental Shelf Energy Production Act of 2011 to open up Virginia’s coast to offshore oil and natural gas exploration and production, increase the area open to that exploration and production, and provide the Commonwealth with 50% of all leasing revenues derived from offshore operations. The legislation would begin the offshore exploration and production in 2012.

2010 Session, HB 389, Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority: Delegate Comstock was a sponsor of a bill to creates the Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority, which will facilitate and support the development of the offshore wind industry and wind-powered electric energy facilities located off the coast of the Commonwealth beyond the Commonwealth's three-mile jurisdictional limit. The Authority is charged with, among other tasks: identifying existing state and regulatory or administrative barriers to the development of the offshore wind industry; collecting metocean and environmental data; upgrading port facilities to accommodate the manufacturing and assembly of project components and vessels that will support such projects; and applying to the U.S. Department of Energy for loan guarantees for such projects.

2010 Session, HB 803, Green Jobs Tax Credit: Delegate Comstock sponsored a bill to create a $500 income tax credit for the creation of "green" jobs paying an annual salary in excess of $50,000. This tax credit was designed to encourage more alternative energy entrepreneurs to make Virginia their home.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Delegate Comstock was part of a bipartisan coalition in the General Assembly that worked on human trafficking laws. Three bills were passed and signed by the Governor this year and Delegate Comstock will continue to work on this important issue with her colleagues in the General Assembly and with Congressman Frank Wolf, who has always been a strong advocate of working to end human trafficking.

HB1893, Trafficking of a minor reclassified to a Class 2 Felony: Delegate Comstock was a sponsor of the bill that makes abduction of a minor for the purpose of manufacturing child pornography or prostitution a Class 2 felony.

HB 2190, Development of a Victims Services Plan: Delegate Comstock was a Chief Co-Sponsor of HB 2190, which requires the Department of Social Services to develop a plan for the provision of services to victims of human trafficking, which shall include provisions for: identifying victims of human trafficking in the Commonwealth; assisting victims of human trafficking with applying for benefits and services to which they may be entitled; coordinating the delivery of services for victims of human trafficking; preparing and disseminating educational and training programs and materials to increase awareness of human trafficking and services available to victims; developing and maintaining community-based services for victims of human trafficking; and assisting victims with family reunification or return to their place of origin if the person so desires.