The Virginia General Assembly reconvenes today, with the Republicans in de facto control of both chambers.
But while many GOP lawmakers look forward to putting their multiplied numbers to work on the 2012 agenda, Gov. Bob McDonnell on Tuesday cautioned his party not to press too hard, the Examiner reports.
From the paper: "I'm asking Republicans: don't be arrogant, don't overreach, don't fight," McDonnell said. "And I'm asking Democrats: don't be angry, don't be petty and political. "
Although advising caution, McDonnell did call the Republicans gains in the 2011 legislative election that gave the GOP a 20-20 split in state senate a "clear message" from Virginian voters. He'll deliver his state of the Commonwealth speech tonight.
- In Maryland, some anticipate O'Malley will use the banner of job creation to justify new tax hikes as his state's General Assembly reconvenes.
The Post reports he's already called for increasing state funding for public schools, and new projects for transportation upgrades, sewer expansion, and wind power projects are anticipated. Funding those initiatives would have to come from somewhere, likely as hikes in the gas tax, the flush tax, and higher electricity bills.
From the Post: “It’s not about the popularity of a given action,” O’Malley said after a traditional pre-session Democratic luncheon. “It’s about our ability to create jobs.”
- The judge who will decide on Rick Perry's ballot challenge on Friday gave the Texas governor a positive signal yesterday. In court papers filed Tuesday, Judge John A. Gibney wrote that circulating election petitions is a form of protected speech to be protected.
From WTOP: "The Court finds that there is a strong likelihood that the Court will find the residency requirement for petition circulators to be unconstitutional," Gibney wrote.
- Elsewhere in Virginia, the fight over uranium mining is shaping up to be a bonanza for lobbyists.
From the Times-Dispatch: "The fight over a proposed uranium mine in the hardscrabble underbelly of Virginia is playing out as environment versus economy — greens against greenbacks."
The battle between mining companies and a suite of environmental groups including the Sierra Club is going to be what the Times-Dispatch calls "the Superbowl of Lobbying."
