Erik Rison of the Office of Delegate Greg Habeeb shares the following newsletter from Del. Habeeb:

Dear Friends,

We have officially reached the midway point of the General Assembly Session. It is hard to believe we have already considered more than a thousand bills this year in the House of Delegates. We now await several hundred bills that have passed the Senate, but must gain House approval before going to the Governor for his signature.

Our focus this past week in Richmond was on strengthening public safety, organizing the state budget and fine-tuning our education system.

House Republicans proposed $31 million in new funding for school security to improve the safety of our schools and communities. This targeted investment in school safety will make our schools and communities safer in a responsible and meaningful way. There is nothing more important than the safety and security of our children and we are dedicated to making our classrooms a place for learning.

Over the weekend, the House of Delegates outlined its proposed changes to the two-year state budget. The House proposal is a responsible and conservative budget that makes targeted investments in Virginia’s core areas of need – economic development, K-12 and higher education, and public safety.

My colleagues and I are continuing our work on K-12 education reform.  My bill, HB2096, passed the House chamber this week; it seeks to improve chronically underperforming schools.  I am carrying the legislation as part of Governor McDonnell’s education plan.  We are committed to enacting reforms that ensure every child in the Commonwealth has the opportunity to receive a top-quality education that prepares him or her for a good job or a college degree after graduation.

I’ll continue to update you on my legislation as it crosses over to the Senate for their review.  You can always track my legislation online at www.greghabeeb.com/legislation.

Every day in Richmond I have constituents come by my office to visit and talk about the issues important to them.  I hope that you’ll consider making the trip to Richmond to see me. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out to my office by calling (804) 698-1008 or e-mailing delghabeeb@house.virginia.gov.