VAR Brokers Digest

From taxes to contracts to transportation, your business is affected by Virginia's legislature. Every week during the General Assembly session, VAR brings you Capitol Connections: a comprehensive and concise summary of the previous week's legislative actions affecting Realtors^®, property owners and prospective buyers. VAR encourages you to stay informed about the legislative process for the sake of your business and your clients.

General Assembly Convenes to Sour Budget Outlook

At noon yesterday, the 2010 Virginia General Assembly convened its 60-day (or longer) legislative session that will, no doubt, be dominated by efforts to close a projected $4.2 billion hole in the Commonwealth's budget for 2010-12.

The House of Delegates welcomed 20 new members to its chamber as a result of the November elections, while the Senate of Virginia welcomed two new faces, both elected Tuesday night in special elections.

Along with newcomers in the legislature, there will also be new residents in the Governor's Mansion. Governor-elect Robert F. McDonnell will be inaugurated at noon this Saturday at the Capitol.

A larger Republican majority in the House of Delegates (61 out of 99 members, with one newly-vacant seat) and the new Republican Governor face a slightly wider Democratic majority in the Senate (22 out of 40 members).

Though the budget will take center stage for the next 60 or more days, other important initiatives will be addressed.

The 2010 Realtor® Legislative Agenda

The 2010 VAR Legislative Agenda is the culmination of many months of work by members of the VAR Public Policy Committee, the Board of Directors and the Specialty Groups.

In addition, Realtors^® and staff coordinated our efforts with legislators, the Virginia Housing Commission and other interested advocacy groups.

All told, this legislative agenda may be the most aggressive one that VAR has ever introduced.

Aspects of commercial real estate, residential real estate and appraisal are evident throughout. We look forward to beginning the process of getting these bills passed.

VAR will be keeping you up-to-date on all bills of concern to you as a real estate professional. Look for new editions of Capitol Connections to land in your e-mail inbox every week. Written by VAR lobbyists, we keep you informed of what is happening in Capitol Square and what it all means for you.

As the session unfolds, please let us know your thoughts. E-mail LawandPolicy@VARealtor.com any comments, concerns or suggestions.

Inaugural Events this Weekend

In addition to Governor-elect McDonnell, Lieutenant Governor Bolling and Attorney General-elect Cuccinelli also will be sworn in on Saturday.

After the swearing-in ceremony, the Governor will host an inaugural ball on Saturday night at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

For more information, see the websites below.

Former Realtor® Thelma Drake Appointed to McDonnell Administration Position

Thelma Drake, former Realtor^®, member of the House of Delegates and of the United States Congress, has been named as the director of Virginia's Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

In that capacity, she will play a pivotal role in planning and developing strategies to implement high-speed rail….a key element of the McDonnell transportation plan.

Most recently, she was a consultant with FutureLaw, LLC in Richmond. As a Realtor^®, Ms. Drake was licensed as a sales agent with William E. Wood.

How are VAR's Legislative Agenda and Standing Positions Chosen?

Good question.

Creation of the 2010 Legislative Agenda began soon after last year's session ended. Local associations report issues they hear about from members like you, and VAR lobbyists keep their ears open for any ideas on legislation that will make your job easier. The legislative agenda is composed of bills that VAR will seek to have introduced in the General Assembly.

The Public Policy Committee (PPC) approves the agenda and it goes before the Board of Directors for final approval in September.

The VAR standing positions are developed by the same process as the legislative agenda. They are updated annually by PPC and final approval is made by the Board of Directors. They are used as a benchmark to determine which bills VAR will support or oppose during the session.

Who makes the decisions during the session about which bills to support and oppose? The Bill Review Committee is a group of 20 Realtors^® who convene every Friday during the session. They leave no stone unturned: they review each bill on the "watch list," over 400 of them.

General Assembly Session Tools

Respond to Calls-to-Action; VAR sends them out only on critical issues, but when you receive an e-mail asking you to contact your legislators, PLEASE DO SO. Legislators listen when over 30,000 Realtors^® speak.

Do you know a legislator on a first-name basis? Then become a Key Contact by contacting Meredith Cox at MCox@VARealtor.com.
See who gave money and who received money with VPAP.org.
Or, just look up your legislators.

Invest in RPAC: It Works for You!

RPAC is people: It's not vote-buying or wasted money thrown at legislators who don't think like we do. It's monetary backing for candidates who support our issues. Political campaigns take money, and with RPAC's support, real estate friendly candidates stand a better chance of getting elected.

And how do they vote once in office? For the issues they consider important: especially pro-real estate legislation.

See how that works?

And there is no better time to see how critical your investment in RPAC is than during the session.

So invest in RPAC today.

You Look Out for Your Clients. VAR Looks Out for You.

Your VAR Law & Policy team will be tracking many other bills as they are introduced. Look forward to receiving information on numerous other pieces as the Bill Review Committee has an opportunity to designate a position on the issue. The goal of the VAR Law & Policy team is to ensure that measures introduced into the legislature are beneficial to you as a Realtor^®. We appreciate your time and effort when you volunteer for our legislative efforts; it helps ensure that all Virginians have the ability to realize the American dream of homeownership.