Legislative Agenda
The Legislative Agenda was developed by the Legislative Committee and approved by the Board of Directors December 2009.
The Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce calls on our elected officials to invest adequate resources into building and maintaining Virginia’s transportation system. State spending should reflect the high priority for transportation in Northern Virginia.
Funding Formula The funding formula for transportation solutions leaves Northern Virginia with grossly inadequate funding. Our elected officials should lead the effort to change the state formula for funding coordinated transportation solutions to reflect the contribution from Northern Virginia, as well as the number of drivers on our roads.
Old Mill Road Extension Continue to work to ensure this route is completed as quickly as possible. Ensure full funding for four lanes in each direction. This important connector route will replace Woodlawn Road which was closed by the U.S. Army and is needed to provide east-west access for the businesses of southeast Fairfax County.
Richmond Highway Widen Richmond Highway through Fort Belvoir to accommodate BRAC moves. Continue spot improvements involving intersections, lane widening, and business access with special emphasis on intersections at Backlick Road and the Fairfax County Parkway
Transit Study Funding should be restored to provide for this important study.
Metro to Fort Belvoir Extend Metro’s Yellow Line to Fort Belvoir in response to the 20,000 jobs moving to the area.
Telegraph Road Fund and complete widening and intersection improvements on Telegraph Road from Beulah Street to North Kings Highway.
Transportation Trust Fund Build a constitutional lock around the fund to protect transportation monies from being diverted to other uses.
Business, Professional and Occupational Licensing Tax (BPOL) The Chamber supports a phase-out and total elimination on this tax of gross receipts, and a merchants Capitol Tax, that a business must pay to localities.
Health Care Health care costs are the number one problem facing many business owners. The Chamber supports state and Federal programs for small business health plans that would benefit small businesses. There should be NO new state required mandates on employers who buy health insurance for employees.
Malpractice Insurance Cap Maintain the current $2 million cap on malpractice awards.
Minimum Wage The Chamber opposes any effort to impose patchwork local wage requirements by localities or on those who contract to provide goods and services to the state or any locality. We support wage differential for training and youth workers.
No Gasoline Tax Increase The state currently levies a 17 cent per gallon tax on gas. The Chamber opposes an increase unless a formula were in place to ensure that additional gas tax funds were returned to the locality were collected.
Energy Policy Reliable and affordable energy supply must keep pace with northern Virginia’s growing population and economy. The development of new electricity generation and transmission, renewable energy, off-shore resources, as well as increased energy conservation and efficiency, also should be included in the Commonwealth’s energy portfolio.
Unemployment Taxes We support Virginia’s long standing adherence to an Unemployment Insurance program that pays defined benefits to individual s who become unemployed through no fault of their own and who are available for and are looking for full time work.
Merchant Discount Fee The Merchant Discount Fee currently compensates retailers for the time and expense of collecting sales and use taxes for the state. Proposed elimination of the merchant’s discount fee penalizes small business owners who collect these funds.
Immigration Businesses that have the requisite I-9 documentation on file for every employee should not be placed in jeopardy due to an employee presenting forged or otherwise "non-authentic" documentation. Businesses should not be liable for unknowingly hiring an illegal worker. We oppose any additional regulations or new penalties to require employers to enforce immigration laws that are the jurisdiction of the state or Federal government.
H1B and H2B Program Expand these successful programs that bring highly skilled and seasonal workers into the United States.
Union Organizing “Card Check” The Employee Free Choice Act would negatively affect the way unions organize businesses by eliminating a secret ballot for employees considering unionization of their workplace. 
Commuter Tax Any effort to impose a tax on those who work in the District of Columbia should be vigorously opposed.
American Clean Energy & Security Act The U.S. already leads the world in C0-2 emissions reductions. We oppose the so-called “Cap and Trade” legislation as it is punitive to U.S. business and consumers and will harm our international competitiveness.
Health Care Reform This issue is critical to the business community – businesses voluntarily pay more than $500 billion every year for employees’ health insurance. We support medical liability reform, including eliminating Medicare fraud and misuse, and allowing businesses to unite to purchase health insurance. allow enrollment across state lines.
United States Congress
Senator James Webb
248 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-4024 / 202-228-6363 (FAX)
Senator Mark Warner
459A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-2023 / 202-224-6295 (FAX)
Congressman James Moran
333 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 201
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-971-4700 / 703-922-9436 (FAX)
Congressman Gerry Connolly
327 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-1492 / 202-225-3071 (FAX)
State Elected Representatives
Senator George Barker, D - District 39
Email: district39@sov.state.va.us
Phone: (804) 698-7539
Senator Linda “Toddy” Puller, D – District 36
Email: district36@sov.state.va.us
Phone: (804) 698-7536
Senator Patricia Ticer, D – District 30
Email: district30@sov.state.va.us
Phone: (804) 698-7530
Delegate Dave Albo, R – District 42
Phone: (804) 698-1042
Email: DelDAlbo@house.state.va.us
Delegate Mark Sickles, D - District 43
Phone: (804)698-1043
Email: DelMSickles@house.state.va.us
Delegate Scott Surovell, D - District 44
Phone: (804)698-1044
Email: DelKAmundson@house.state.va.us
Delegate David Englin, D - District 45
Phone: 804-698-1045
Email: DelDEnglin@house.state.va.us
Board of Supervisors
Supervisor Gerry Hyland (D– Mount Vernon District)
703-780-7518 / 703-780-1491 (FAX)
2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306
Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee District)
703-971-6262 / 703-971-3032 (FAX)
6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA 22310
Chairman of the Board Sharon Bulova (D-At-Large)
703-324-2321 / 703-324-3955 (FAX)
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 530, Fairfax VA 22035
Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce
6911 Richmond Highway, Suite 320 / Alexandria, VA 22306
703-360-6925 / 703-360-6928 (fax)
Info@MtVernon-LeeChamber.org / www.MtVernon-LeeChamber.org
Proudly Serving Southeast Fairfax County, Virginia, since 1954.
