Jim Crosby of Daleville has withdrawn from the race for the Republican nomination for the House of Delegates and endorsed Moneta businessman Jim McKelvey instead.

Other candidates seeking the nomination are Buchanan District Supervisor Terry Austin, Eagle Rock minister Zachary Hatcher and Zach Martin of Goode, a business development manager with Moore’s.

The district — which covers virtually all of Botetourt, and parts of Alleghany County and Bedford County — is now represented by Del. Lacey Putney, I-Bedford, who is retiring.

Republicans will pick their candidate in firehouse primaries on  Tuesday, May 7.

Here’s a statement from Crosby.

Del. Lacey Putney

After more than half a century of service in the Virginia House of Delegates, Del. Lacey Putney has announced his retirement.

The Roanoke Times has a story on the Bedford independent’s decision to retire here.

The full statement from Putney is below (and yes, it came in ALL CAPS.):

Read more »

Del. Onzlee Ware

Over on our Style Street fashion blog, who should make an appearance today but Del. Onzlee Ware, D-Roanoke.

Style Street blogger and fashion guru David Verde proclaims him “one dapper delegate.”

You can find more photos and Verde’s fashion assessment of the Roanoke state legislator here.

Republican Jeff Campbell, the former mayor of Saltville, has announced his candidacy for the 6th District House of Delegates seat that will be vacated by the retirement of Del. Anne Crockett-Stark, R-Wytheville.

In a news release, Campbell said he is the first to file a declaration of candidacy and petitions to qualify for the June 11 primary in the 6th District, which covers Wythe and Carroll counties and part of Smyth County.

Campbell, 46, is an attorney with a law office in Marion. He has served as mayor and a town council member in Saltville and also has served on the Saltville Industrial Development Authority and the board of the Smyth County Tourism Association.

In his news release, Campbell said he will focus on economic development, educational opportunity and public safety.

“I can think of no other governmental function that so positively affects a community and its people than the location or relocation of a new industry, within its borders, bringing with it job opportunities and economic prospects that promote the public welfare and create a better way of life for the residents,” Campbell said.  “Our government must make this the number one priority for the citizens of the 6^th District and I pledge to work tirelessly in Richmond to bring the good paying jobs in the Commonwealth back home.”

Gov. Bob McDonnell met privately with members of Virginia’s congressional delegation this afternoon in Washington to discuss a range of issues, including sequestration, Medicaid reform and transportation.

The Capitol Hill meeting last about an hour, McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said in an email.

“It was a wide-ranging and positive meeting,” Martin said. “The governor appreciated the opportunity to meet directly with Virginia’s congressional delegation as he does several times a year.”

McDonnell talked with the delegation about the transportation funding bill that passed the General Assembly last month and about proposed federal legislation that will be a factor in how the package in financed. McDonnell and the General Assembly are counting on revenue the state could reap if Congress passed legislation enabling states to collect sales taxes from online transactions. Without that revenue, a proposed 3.5 percent tax on the wholesale price of gasoline would increase to 5.1 percent in 2015.

McDonnell also talked about the need for “major and far-reaching Medicaid reforms at the federal level,” according to Martin. The Republican governor is adamantly opposed to expanding eligibility for the state-federal Medicaid program in Virginia without cost-cutting reforms.

The governor also voiced support for pending legislation that would consolidate federal workforce development programs, and asked about the prospects for legislation that would allow for oil and natural gas drilling off the Virginia coast.

– Michael Sluss

Del. Anne Crockett-Stark, R-Wytheville, has announced  that she won’t  run for re-election to the House of Delegates this fall, ending her legislative career after four terms.

Crockett-Stark, who is called “Annie B.” by friends and colleagues,  disclosed her decision in an email circulated this morning.

“After much consideration, I am announcing that I will not be seeking re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates this November,” Crockett-Stark wrote. “Having served four terms, I am now moving on to enjoy other adventures that are on my personal ‘bucket list.’ I want to thank the network of family and friends whose support and efforts blessed me and afforded me this great opportunity. It has been such a privilege and a pleasure to serve the Best people in the Commonwealth of Virginia. “

Crockett-Stark, 70, represents the 6^th District, which covers Wythe and Carroll counties and part of Smyth County. She was first elected to the House in 2005, defeating incumbent Democrat Benny Keister. During her first three terms, Crockett-Stark’s district included parts of Giles and Pulaski counties and all of Bland County.

Crockett-Stark, a former teacher and guidance counselor, served on the Wythe County Board of Supervisors before winning election to the House. She serves on the Counties Cities and Towns, Health Welfare and Institutions, and Science and Technology committees.

Crockett-Stark has a colorful personality, which she demonstrated last year when she waded into a House debate over enshrining the so-called “castle doctrine” into the state’s civil and criminal codes. Crockett-Stark declined to provide further details of the incident she described in her remarks, but she succeeded in getting the attention of her colleagues. The video is posted here.

– Michael Sluss

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has appointed a bipartisan advisory committee to examine ways of improving the process of restoring civil rights to certain non-violent felons without amending the state constitution.

Cuccinelli and Gov. Bob McDonnell, both Republicans, voiced support this year for a proposed constitutional amendment that would make the restoration of rights automatic for non-violent felons who have completed their sentencing, probation and restitution requirements. But the legislation died in a GOP-controlled House of Delegates subcommittee, just as it has in previous years.

The state constitution prohibits a convicted felon from voting “unless his civil rights have been restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority.” Cuccinelli will ask his advisory committee to examine alternatives to  gubernatorial approval that would be permissible without amending the constitution.

McDonnell has restored civil rights for more individuals than any governor in the state’s history, but he and others argue that the process should not be left to the discretion of the governor.

“Ever since I was in the Virginia Senate, I have expressed a deep concern about unnecessarily ratcheting up several low-level offenses from misdemeanors to felonies – what I have called ‘felony creep,’ ” Cuccinelli said in a news release. “There are many people in our communities who have committed certain low-level, nonviolent offenses in the past, paid their debts to society, and then gone on to live law-abiding lives. There should be a way for willing individuals who want to regain their place in society to be forgiven, be given a second chance, and to pursue a path to regain their civil rights.”

Cuccinelli’s office said the committee members don’t necessarily share the attorney general’s view on the issue.

The members are: Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney Harvey Bryant; Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s Attorney Lisa Caruso; K. Anne Gambrill Gentry, an assistant attorney general; Paul Goldman, former senior advisor to Gov. Douglas Wilder; Donald Santarelli, president of the Center for Community Corrections; Ashley Taylor Jr., former deputy attorney general; and attorney Henry E. Howell III.

– Michael Sluss

Del. Don Merricks, R-Chatham, who has been a vocal opponent of a proposed uranium mining operation in Pittsylvania County, announced today that he won’t run for another term in the House of Delegates this fall.

Merricks, who was first elected to the House in 2007, said he wants to spend more time on his Danville business. Merricks and his wife own and operate J. W. Squire Co., Inc., a building specialties company.

“As with many small business owners, the past several years have been difficult and I have had many hard decisions to make. And now I must make my most difficult decision yet,” Merricks said in a written statement. “By not returning to Richmond, I will be able to be in my ofhce daily working alongside my wife and my employees to ensure that our business is strong and we are finding new opportunities for growth.”

The 16th District covers Martinsville and parts of Henry and Pittsylvania County. Merricks was first elected to the House after his predecessor, Republican Robert Hurt of Chatham, vacated the seat to run for the state Senate. Hurt now holds the 5th District seat in Congress.

When the 16th District was redrawn in 2011, Merricks found himself in the same district with Democrat Ward Armstrong of Henry County, then the House minority leader. Armstrong changed his voting residence to the adjacent 9th District, but lost to Republican Del. Charles Poindexter of Franklin County. Armstrong has since returned to the 16th District, but said today that he won’t run for the House seat.

Merricks said he did not know of a Republican who is planning to run for his seat, but added: “It’s a little early.”

There is a contest shaping up in the adjacent 14th District, which covers Danville and parts of Henry and Pittsylvania County. Danville Republican Danny Marshall has represented the district for six terms. Last week, Danville Vice Mayor Gary Miller, a Democrat, announced plans to run for the seat.

Merricks’ district includes the site of a proposed uranium mining and milling operation that has been a source of contentious debate in the General Assembly.Virginia Uranium Inc. has plans to mine a 119 million-pound uranium deposit on the Coles Hill site, but first needs the legislature to lift Virginia’s 31 year-old moratorium on uranium mining.

Lawmakers this year took no action on bills that would have lifted the ban and established a regulatory framework for the industry. Sen. John Watkins, R-Powhatan County, withdrew his bill when it became clear he did not have the votes to get it out of a Senate committee.

Merricks, 61, is among a group of Southside Virginia lawmakers who oppose lifting the moratorium and want Gov. Bob McDonnell to resist pressure for his administration to develop uranium mining regulations. Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, who represents the area of the proposed mining operation, also opposes lifting the moratorium.

Merricks said in a phone interview that he remains concerned about the environmental risks of milling uranium and storing the waste product from that process at the Coles Hill site. But the uranium issue was not a factor in his decision to retire from the legislature, he said.

Merricks said it has been “an honor and privilege to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates” for three terms.

“My responsibilities have extended to representing Southside Virginia values in Richmond, pursuing economic recovery, securing workforce training, encouraging job growth and standing firmly for a safe and healthy environment for all residents,” Merricks said in his announcement.

– Michael Sluss

Gov. Bob McDonnell wants the Obama administration to know that Virginia has not approved expansion of Medicaid under the federal health reform law, and that he won’t authorize it “given the vast reform required to make our program cost effective.”

McDonnell reiterated his position on the issue  in a letter to U.S .Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius today, 10 days after the General Assembly approved a compromise budget provision spelling out conditions that must be met before the state can expand eligibility for the state-federal Medicaid program.

In his letter, McDonnell said the provision details a “series of reforms that must be completed to the satisfaction of a new legislative commission prior to consideration of Medicaid expansion.”

“Some media outlets and elected officials have labeled this as approving Medicaid expansion in Virginia,” McDonnell wrote. “This is absolutely incorrect.”

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act extends Medicaid eligibility to individuals with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. But, under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2012 ruling that upheld the law, states can opt out of the expansion. The federal government will pay for 100 percent of the expansion’s cost for three years and then gradually reduce its share to 90 percent.

An estimated 400,000 additional low-income, uninsured Virginians could gain eligibility for Medicaid under expansion, though state officials project that about 250,000 would actually enroll.

McDonnell has said he won’t expand Medicaid eligibility unless the federal government first allows the state to implement reforms that improve service delivery and reduce costs.

“We have just one chance to actually fix the program so that it serves people well, but doesn’t contribute more to the national debt, or produce unsustainable future increases in state general fund expenditures,” he wrote in his letter. “Thus, please do not include Virginia on any list of states that have acted to expand Medicaid, as that would be inaccurate.”

The proposed state budget provision calls for the creation of a 12-member legislative commission, with five members from each house of the General Assembly and two non-voting cabinet secretaries. At least three House and three Senate members on the commission must vote to approve any expansion, which would not occur before July 1, 2014 – nearly six months after McDonnell leaves office.

Some supporters of Medicaid expansion celebrated the budget provision as a victory, given that the Republican-dominated House initially opposed any move toward expansion. And some Republican opponents of Medicaid expansion vehemently opposed the creation of a legislative panel.

But, in his letter, McDonnell said the budget provision“actually places a firewall against expansion consideration, unless real, sustainable cost saving reforms are implemented at the state and federal level.

“Members of the commission have already been appointed by the House of Delegates, and several have already expressed deep concern about expansion,” McDonnell wrote. “Additionally, my office is currently reviewing the budget language to see what changes may be necessary.”

McDonnell can make line-item amendments to the budget bill. Lawmakers will act on his proposed changes in the General Assembly’s April 3 veto session.

“As Governor, while the decision currently rests with me on whether or not to expand, I am not going to do so given the vast reform required to make our program cost effective,” McDonnell continued. “We are just beginning the process of designing and implementing the real, long term, cost saving Medicaid system reforms necessary to ensure the citizens that our Medicaid program is well managed, entrepreneurial, and efficient. My view of necessary reform for our state and nation may be more comprehensive than what is currently contained in the budget.”

– Michael Sluss

Democrat Freeda Cathcart of Roanoke is making another run for the 17^th District seat in the House of Delegates, a seat Republicans have occupied for nearly a decade.

Cathcart will formally announce her bid for her party’s nomination on Thursday, according to a news release issued this afternoon. Republican Chris Head of Botetourt County easily defeated Cathcart in 2011, winning nearly two-thirds of the vote.

The 17^th District covers parts of Roanoke, Roanoke County and Botetourt County. Republicans have won the past five elections in the House district. Head is completing his first House term.

Cathcart will make her announcement Thursday afternoon at Burlington Elementary School on Peters Creek Road.

 – Michael Sluss