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2008 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections

Chairman: Janet D. Howell

Clerk: Charles Shotton
Staff: Mary Spain, Jack Austin
Date of Meeting: January 29, 2008
Time and Place: 4:00 PM Senate Room A

S.B. 8

Patron: Deeds

Elections; absentee voting. Provides that qualified voters may vote absentee in person without providing an excuse or reason for not being able to vote in person on election day. The bill retains the present statutory list of specific reasons entitling a voter to cast an absentee ballot for those persons who vote absentee by mail.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-700 and 24.2-701 of the Code of Virginia, relating to absentee voting; persons eligible to vote absentee; and applications for absentee ballots.

087710220

S.B. 9

Patron: Whipple

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); property exempt from taxation. Provides for a referendum at the November 2008 election on approval of a proposed constitutional amendment relating to property tax exemptions. The proposed amendment authorizes the General Assembly to enact legislation that will allow localities by ordinance to exempt or partially exempt from real property taxes, or defer real property taxes on, up to 20 percent of the value of residential or farm property that is the owner-occupant's primary dwelling and lived in continuously.

A BILL to provide for the submission to the voters of a proposed amendment to Section 6 of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia, relating to property tax exemptions, including tax relief for certain homeowners.

087606352

S.B. 10

Patron: Northam

Real property tax exemptions and deferrals for certain residential or farm property.  Authorizes local governing bodies to exempt, partially exempt, or defer the taxation of real property of up to 20 percent of the fair market value of real property that is residential or farm property designed for continuous habitation and occupied as the primary dwelling of the individual owners. The bill is contingent on a constitutional amendment authorizing the exemption.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 32 of Title 58.1 an article numbered 2.01, consisting of a section numbered 58.1-3218.1, relating to exemptions from and deferrals of local real estate taxes for certain residential or farm property designed for continuous habitation.

087607352

S.B. 38

Patron: Deeds

Bipartisan Redistricting Commission created. Establishes a five-member temporary commission to prepare redistricting plans in 2011 and each tenth year thereafter for the House of Delegates, state Senate, and congressional districts. Appointments to the commission shall be made one each by the four majority and minority party leaders of the House and Senate from a pool of 24 retired judges appointed by the Supreme Court. Those four appointees shall appoint the fifth member and chairman for the commission from the pool. The commission will prepare plans and submit them to the General Assembly. The General Assembly may accept or reject the first two plans submitted by the commission and may amend the third plan submitted by the commission. The bill spells out the standards and process to be followed by the Commission in preparing plans, including opportunities for public comment on the plans.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 3 of Title 24.2 an article numbered 1.1, consisting of sections numbered 24.2-301.2 through 24.2-301.4, relating to preparation of and standards for state legislative and congressional redistricting plans; establishment of the Bipartisan Redistricting Commission.

087632220

S.B. 69

Patron: Howell

Elections; absentee voting.  Provides that qualified voters may vote absentee in person without providing an excuse or reason for not being able to vote in person on election day. The bill retains the present statutory list of specific reasons entitling a voter to cast an absentee ballot for those persons who vote absentee by mail.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-700 and 24.2-701 of the Code of Virginia, relating to absentee voting; persons eligible to vote absentee; and applications for absentee ballots.

087711248

S.B. 105

Patron: Cuccinelli

Redistricting process.  Provides a new method for the preparation of state legislative and congressional redistricting plans; spells out standards for developing plans including population equality, compactness, maintenance of cores of existing districts, and respect for locality boundaries; precludes consideration of incumbency and political data in developing plans; assigns responsibility to the Division of Legislative Services to prepare plans for submission to the General Assembly; and establishes a temporary redistricting advisory commission to advise the Division, disseminate information on plans, and hold hearings for public reaction to plans. This bill is patterned after the Iowa redistricting process.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 3 of Title 24.2 an article numbered 1.1, consisting of sections numbered 24.2-301.2 through 24.2-301.7, relating to preparation of and standards for state legislative and congressional redistricting plans; establishment of a temporary redistricting advisory commission.

087649216

S.B. 190

Patron: Herring

Elections; lists of registered voters. Permits the State Board of Elections to furnish lists of registered voters at a reasonable cost to local school division superintendents solely for use in conducting the triennial census of school population.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-405 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; lists of registered voters.

087077240

S.B. 243

Patron: Howell

Virginia Redistricting Commission created.  Establishes a seven-member commission to prepare redistricting plans in 2011 and each tenth year thereafter for the House of Delegates, state Senate, and congressional districts. Six appointments to the commission shall be made, one each, by the President pro tempore of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Delegates, minority leaders of the Senate and House, and chairmen of the two major political parties. Those six appointees shall appoint the seventh member and chairman for the commission. The commission will prepare plans and submit them to the General Assembly. The General Assembly may accept or reject the first two plans submitted by the commission and may amend the third plan submitted by the commission. The bill spells out the standards and process to be followed by the commission in preparing plans, including opportunities for public comment on the plans.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 3 of Title 24.2 an article numbered 1.1, consisting of sections numbered 24.2-301.2 through 24.2-301.4, relating to preparation of and standards for state legislative and congressional redistricting plans; establishment of the Virginia Redistricting Commission.

087654248

S.B. 277

Patron: Miller, J.C.

Electoral College. Provides that the Commonwealth's votes in the Electoral College shall be allocated by the popular vote statewide and in each congressional district. The candidates for President and Vice President who win the popular statewide vote will receive the votes of the two at-large statewide electors and the candidate who wins the popular vote in each congressional district will receive the vote of that district's elector. Maine and Nebraska allocate electoral college votes in this manner.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-202, 24.2-203, 24.2-542, 24.2-542.1, 24.2-543, and 24.2-673 of the Code of Virginia, relating to electors for President and Vice President and results of elections.

080719275

S.B. 452

Patron: Petersen

Reporting designated campaign contributions.  Requires political committees, out-of-state political committees, and federal political action committees to report contributions they receive that are designated for the election of a particular candidate. Political party committees and organized political party groups of elected officials are the only entities currently required to report such information. Such committees will be required to provide a candidate's campaign committee with information regarding the contributor of the designated contribution so that the candidate can identify that contribution on his or her campaign finance report. In turn, candidate campaign committees will be required to report designated contributions transmitted from such committees as being made by the person who designated the contribution. The provisions of the bill will become effective January 1, 2009.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-947.4, 24.2-949.5, 24.2-949.9:2, 24.2-950.1, and 24.2-950.4 of the Code of Virginia and to repeal § 24.2-950.5 of the Code of Virginia, relating to campaign finance information and reporting of designated contributions.

080803808

S.B. 523

Patron: Wagner

Elections; paper and machine ballots; write-in votes.  Provides that write-in votes will be counted only if the last name of the write-in candidate is spelled correctly as determined by the chief officer of election at the polling place. Ballots with misspelled names shall be void.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-644 and 24.2-648 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; paper and machine ballots; write-in votes.

088388340

S.B. 534

Patron: Herring

Campaign finance disclosure; where and how to file candidate reports.  Beginning January 1, 2009, requires candidates for the General Assembly and for local or constitutional offices in counties and cities with a population greater than 100,000 to file campaign finance disclosure reports electronically with the State Board of Elections.  Present law gives General Assembly and local candidates the option to file electronically with the State Board. The bill applies statewide to the General Assembly candidates and to the Counties of Fairfax, Prince William, Henrico, Chesterfield, Arlington, and Loudoun and the Cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Richmond, Newport News, Hampton, Alexandria, and Portsmouth with respect to local candidates.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-947.5 of the Code of Virginia, relating to campaign finance disclosure; where and how to file candidate reports.

087655240

S.B. 554

Patron: Obenshain

Elections; voter identification requirements; absentee voting eligibility and procedures.  Revises the list of items that a voter may show to prove identification at the polls. The bill adds to the list several items now allowed to prove the identity of first-time voters for federal elections: a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck that shows the name and address of the voter. The bill deletes the provision that allows a voter to sign a sworn statement that he is the named registered voter he claims to be in lieu of showing identification.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-643, 24.2-651.1, 24.2-653, and 24.2-701 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; voter identification requirements; absentee voting eligibility and procedures.

086243288

S.B. 625

Patron: Stolle

Bipartisan Redistricting Commission created.  Establishes a five-member temporary Commission to prepare redistricting plans in 2011 and each tenth year thereafter for the House of Delegates, state Senate, and congressional districts. Appointments to the Commission shall be made one each by the four majority and minority party leaders of the House and Senate from a pool of 24 retired judges appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Those four appointees shall appoint the fifth member and chairman for the Commission from the pool, or if they cannot agree, the Chief Justice, by lot, shall select the chairman from the pool. The Commission will prepare plans and submit them to the General Assembly. The General Assembly may accept, reject, or amend the plans submitted by the Commission or any member. The Commission shall make recommendations with respect to amendments to the Commission plan and to other plans and may submit additional plans. The bill spells out the standards and process to be followed by the Commission in preparing plans, including opportunities for public comment on the plans.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 3 of Title 24.2 an article numbered 1.1, consisting of sections numbered 24.2-301.2 through 24.2-301.4, relating to preparation of and standards for state legislative and congressional redistricting plans; establishment of the Bipartisan Redistricting Commission.

087656328

S.B. 646

Patron: Ticer

Elections; absentee voting. Provides that qualified voters may vote absentee in person without providing an excuse or reason for not being able to vote in person on election day. The bill retains the present statutory list of specific reasons entitling a voter to cast an absentee ballot for those persons who vote absentee by mail.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-700, 24.2-701, 24.2-702, 24.2-702.1, 24.2-703, 24.2-703.1, 24.2-703.2, and 24.2-706 of the Code of Virginia, relating to absentee voting; persons eligible to vote absentee; and applications and procedures for absentee ballots.

088317336

S.J.R. 6

Patron: Whipple

Constitutional amendment (second resolution); property exempt from taxation. Authorizes the General Assembly to enact legislation that will allow localities by ordinance to exempt from real property taxes, or defer real property taxes on, up to 20 percent of the value of residential or farm property that is the owner- occupant's primary dwelling and lived in continuously.

Proposing an amendment to Section 6 of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia, relating to property tax exemptions, including tax relief for certain homeowners.

084307352