Your Chance to get Lawmaker to Listen
State Sen. John Miller has set up a four-stop Peninsula listening tour next week as lawmakers prepare to head to Richmond to deal with budget cuts.
So far, the preseason political wrangling indicates that the 2009 General Assembly session is going to be dominated by looming cuts to core services. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine released a budget with cuts to basic services like health care and an increase in the state's cigarette tax. Leading lawmakers from both parties have said the tanking economy was going to force them to pore over everything that the state does, searching for places to save money.
Miller, a Newport News Democrat, said he was going to open the floor to the public in Poquoson, Hampton, Newport News and York County. Miller said that it was important to gauge how the public felt about specific issues and that he would use the input to help guide his decisions.
"This session of the General Assembly will be dealing with many difficult issues," Miller said.
"In addition to making hard decisions on where to cut the budget, legislators will deal with whether to increase the cigarette tax, ban smoking in restaurants and how to fund transportation."
Are you a smoker worried about higher taxes and new restrictions on where you can light up?
Are you a parent worried about cuts to school funding?
Does your commute drive you crazy?
If you have something on your mind, check out one of these public hearings:
• Poquoson — Tuesday, Jan. 6; 7 to 8:30 p.m.; Public Library, 500 City Hall Ave.
• Hampton — Wednesday, Jan. 7; 7 to 8:30 p.m.; Booker Elementary School, 160 Apollo Drive.
• Newport News — Thursday, Jan. 8; 7 to 8:30 p.m.; Ferguson Center for the Arts at Christopher Newport University .
• York County — Saturday, Jan. 10; 2 to 3:30 p.m.; Tabb Library, 100 Long Green Road.
Published in the Daily Press on January 3, 2009
By: Kimball Payne.