I hope you will accept my sincere appreciation for your assistance with passing my Route 58 legislation, House Bill 1953. As you know, the bill passed the House after much consideration and was to be heard by a Senate often less sympathetic to the voices of rural Virginia. I was concerned the merits of the bill and my presentation to the Senate Finance committee would not be sufficient to sway the members who see any additional transportation funding going with Southern and Southwest Virginia as money out of their pockets. Your letter of support in this regard was absolutely critical to the bill’s passage and, again, I thank you for your efforts.
After a chaotic Senate Finance committee meeting, the bill passed with three (3) amendments. The first two amendments changed the structure of the bill to place it more in line with my original intentions when drafting the legislation prior to session. As amended, the bill would raise the bond authorization limit – or “cap” — by $553M, increasing the limit from $704M to $1.3B. This will provide enough funding to complete the Vesta, Crooked Oak, and Lover’s Leap sections. My provision prioritizing completion of the Lover’s Leap section remained intact. The third amendment made the passage of my bill contingent upon the passage of a “comprehensive statewide transportation funding package.” Well, on February 23, we did just that with the passage of House Bill 2313.
I expect Governor McDonnell to sign the bill at his earliest convenience. While the legislation will not deliver bulldozers to Lover’s Leap tomorrow, it will set in motion a funding mechanism to ensure Route 58 is widened as soon as the money is available – most likely in 2020.
It is an honor to represent you in the Virginia House of Delegates. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance to you or your family.
Regards,
Charles Poindexter
9th, Virginia House of Delegates
