Things are getting hectic in the House as Cross Over looms next week,
and the back log of bills is large so they are being handled very quickly. Every bill that has any fiscal implications whatsoever is being Reported, and then Referred to the Appropriations Committee, which by now has a huge backlog, as everyone seems to be waiting to see what Federal money will be forthcoming from the Stimulus Plan.
The Senate seems to be much less hurried and hectic, and rolling along normally.
Late in the House Session today, Del. Ebbin’s HB 2386, Stop for Pedestrians in Crosswalks, got blind sided by a Motion to Re-Refer to Committee, whereupon the Speaker referred it to the Courts of Justice Committee. Since the bill had come up through the Transportation Committee, Courts of Justice is not where we want to see it (particularly since it has a well deserved reputation as a “Killing Fields” committee in the House) and I’ll be surprised if this is not the dead end for it in this session. I think this is the 7th time I’ve been here supporting this type of bill, and this is the first time I’ll have to go to Courts of Justice to support it.
But, over in a late running Transportation Committee session, Del.
Brink’s HB2008, aimed at including the CTB’s prohibition on bicycles,
etc. on Interstates in the Code so violators would be found guilty in
court, finally got straightened out to my satisfaction, with some good
cooperation from Lt. Steve Chumley of the State Police and Rick Walton of VDOT. Walton’s realization that VDOT had spent a significant amount to include bicycle access on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge (I-95) and on Rt. I-66, conveyed the message to the State Police that VDOT did not want to exclude bicyclists from all Interstates. This resulted in an amendment which tacked this sentence onto the end of the bill, which I feel should be acceptable to the bicycling community:
“That the provisions of this act prohibiting the operation of bicycles on Interstate Highway System components shall not apply where the Commonwealth Transportation Board has authorized the use of bicycles provided the operation is limited to bicycle or pedestrian facilities that are barrier separated from the roadway and automobile traffic, and such facilities meet all applicable safety requirements established by federal and state law.”
With this amendment, the Bill was reported to the full House, 16-0,
where it will hopefully pass, and not be re-referred to the Courts of
Justice Committee.
Tomorrow, we see Sen. Ticer’s bill banning drivers using cell phones in
Senate Courts of Justice, and Thursday, Del. Fralin’s bill requiring the
railroads to hold public hearings on access when they receive grants in excess of $1 million for a project, will be in House Transportation.
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