In about a week, the Virginia General Assembly will convene for the 2013 session. As your Delegate, I am committed to the issues you care about – good jobs, good schools and good government.

Virginia has weathered the national economic slowdown better than most states. We have a 5.6% unemployment rate. But there is more work to be done. By keeping taxes low and making sure we have a sound regulatory policy, we can continue to attract companies to Virginia. The growing regional connection between the Roanoke and New River Valleys make our area particularly attractive to businesses. I will continue to work with Governor McDonnell and my colleagues from our area to create new opportunities for our community.

Part of what makes our community so attractive is our solid school systems. I am blessed to have a family of educators. My wife, Christy, is a former school teacher, my mother is a teacher, and my brother is a high school administrator.  I also have three young children – Daniel, William and Anna – who all attend public schools.  This perspective has taught me that good schools aren’t created in Richmond, they’re built in classrooms and at kitchen tables. I believe that accountability, flexibility and local control make up the recipe for good schools. That’s why I introduced legislation to put local schools in charge of their calendars, create flexibility in SOL testing and to create a system where schools are judge based on the impact they have on their students.

Finally, I know that government has a place and role to play. There are good government programs and there are good regulations. But I believe we should always be looking at ways to make government more efficient and effective. I have introduced legislation to put extra checks on bureaucrats who write rules and regulations. Increased accountability will mean a better government for all of us.
You can make your voice heard on these and other issues by filling out my 2013 Pre-Session survey at www.greghabeeb.com/survey/.  To see my bills and those filed by my colleagues, go to http://lis.virginia.gov/.

As your delegate, I am dedicated to making myself open and accessible.  I want to hear from citizens about the issues that are important to them.  You can reach my office by email at DelGHabeeb@house.virginia.gov or by phone at (540) 915-2962.  You can also follow me on Twitter @GregHabeeb or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/greghabeeb.  I also encourage you to visit me while I am in Richmond for the General Assembly.

Submitted by Delegate Greg Habeeb