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2000 SESSION

006034436
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 174
Offered January 24, 2000
Establishing the South-central Virginia Economic Development Commission.
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Patron-- Hawkins
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) were national policy decisions which have set the United States and other countries on the road to economic globalization; and

WHEREAS, professional economists are not in agreement over the efficacy of economic globalization or how to resolve the negative effects this phenomena has had on certain industries in rural areas, for example the textile industry; and

WHEREAS, in the face of economic globalization and economic prosperity, most areas of Virginia and the United States are experiencing unprecedented economic prosperity; and

WHEREAS, Virginia has been blessed with double digit annual general fund revenue growth over the past few biennia which have provided the state with a sense of well-being and wealth; and

WHEREAS, even after almost ten years of strong economic growth in the Commonwealth, most of the rural areas of Virginia have not benefited greatly from this financial largess; and

WHEREAS, these rural areas have high unemployment and declining and aging populations, with plant closings and bankruptcies and out-migration of young people who see few incentives for advancement; and

WHEREAS, the decline of the textile industry, the tobacco industry, and the furniture industry's increased competition in the United States and abroad have meant that South-central Virginia must redefine itself and its focus and find a way to reinvent itself with a high technology and education emphasis; and

WHEREAS, those pockets of the Commonwealth that are not sharing in this broad-based economic boom are thus facing economic downturns at a time that most Virginians do not understand its impact; and

WHEREAS, the social and economic problems confronting rural Virginia and its suburban neighbors are diverse and not amenable to resolution through a one-size-fits-all approach to rural development; and

WHEREAS, in the case of South-central Virginia, many excellent educational and technological initiatives are already underway; however, the business and industry community may not be aware of these initiatives or the strong community values and family ethic which pervades the area; and

WHEREAS, the identity of the region must be preserved while being enhanced, with recognition of its own priorities and programs; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the South-central Virginia Economic Development Commission be created to implement initiatives to turn the economy in the South-central area of Virginia in a new direction.

The Commission shall be comprised of twenty members. Five members of the Senate of Virginia and four citizen members to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections, and seven members of the House of Delegates and four citizen members of the Commonwealth to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates. The members of the Commission shall be apportioned in a manner that results in at least half of the members being residents of South-central Virginia. The Chairman shall be elected by the membership at its first meeting.

For the purposes of this Commission, South-central Virginia means the communities of interest bordered in the south by the state line between North Carolina and the counties of Patrick, Henry, Pittsylvania, Halifax, and Mecklenburg, proceeding north to include the counties of Franklin and Campbell and the City of Lynchburg, then proceeding northeast to include the county of Appomattox, then turning south again to include the counties of Prince Edward, Charlotte, and Lunenburg, thus closing the line and subsuming all cities and towns located within these named jurisdictions, e.g., Martinsville, Danville, Farmville, and Lynchburg.

The Commission shall, with such funds as may be appropriated for its purposes, develop at least three initiatives to augment the economy of South-central Virginia, through grants and special projects. An estimated $100,000 is allocated, if the funds are appropriated, for consultant services to launch a campaign to bring industry and businesses to South-central Virginia and to improve the prospects of the excellent education systems, both public K-12 and public and private two-year and four-year higher education institutions, in developing high technology curricula and job training programs. The consultant shall be an expert in writing grants to be submitted to foundations and various agencies of the federal government in such areas as rural health care, job training and development, tourism, and education. In addition, the consultant may be required to produce a brochure highlighting the qualities, attractions, people, and history of South-central Virginia.

The Division of Legislative Services, the consultant, and the Rural Economic Analysis Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University shall provide staff assistance for the study. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Commission upon request.

The direct cost of the study shall not exceed $205,400 and there is hereby allocated $175,000 from the General Assembly's contingent fund to hire a consultant and to reimburse Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University for its contributions to the Commission's efforts, in accordance with state laws and regulations on such reimbursement.

The Commission shall complete its work by December 1, 2001 and submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor in the 2002 Session of the Virginia General Assembly. The Commission shall submit its preliminary report and its recommendations to the Governor in the 2001 Session of the Virginia General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.