Best regards from Richmond. As the first full week of session is now complete, we have started to make progress in tackling over 1,200 Bills and Resolutions that have been introduced so far in the House for this 60-days Session – approximately 3,000 are expected overall. This Tuesday I will be holding a live telephone town hall meeting from my office in Richmond to update you on issues and hear your opinions and suggestions. Over the next few days, you should be receiving a call from my office with details on how to join the telephone town hall meeting. In the meantime, the following is a summary of my efforts for the week: 

 This week I worked on reaching an agreement with VDOT to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Route 15 and Waverly Farm Drive in Prince William County. VDOT had originally denied the traffic signal. Their decision would have led to a very dangerous intersection and thus was met with considerable opposition from residents, schools and the Park Valley Church. Thanks to the leadership of Delegate Tim Hugo and the efforts of Gainesville Supervisor Peter Candland, outspoken citizens and others we were able to convince VDOT to reverse their decision; the traffic light is now slated to be installed this year. Keeping the 87th District safe is one of my top priorities.

 In November, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved a Memorandum of Agreement on Phase II of the Dulles Rail Project, which will expand the Metrorail to Dulles Airport and Loudoun County. However the project is in danger of not getting started due to inclusion of a Project Labor Agreement. I firmly believe in the need and value of rail to the Dulles area which will help in alleviating our traffic congestion and will be an economic development engine; yet we are a right-to-work Commonwealth and we should not allow for taxpayers dollars to be wasted. Thus, I joined Delegates Comstock and Hugo as Chief Co-Patron of the Fair and Open Competition in Government Contracting Act (HB33) to lead the effort to lower taxpayer-funded public works project costs. HB33 if passed will keep construction costs low and save the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The 87th District needs transportation solutions now.

Today the House passed HJ144, a Resolution to designate September 21st as Small Business Day in Virginia. Delegate Tim Hugo and I introduced this Resolution last week. Small businesses are the heart and soul of our economy. Whether they are a dentist’s office, the lawyer down the street, or the new restaurant trying to find its place on Main Street, our friends and neighbors who are out pursuing the American Dream are part of what makes Virginia's economy strong.

A few hundred of you have taken my survey so far. As a citizen legislator, I rely on your advice and opinions to be a more effective representative. Please take a few minutes to complete the following survey so that I know where you stand on the important issue facing our Commonwealth - please click here.

Please let me know if I can be of any help or service to you and your families. Our office telephone number in Richmond is 1(804) 698-1087. Christine Aubrey and Mike Benefiel are serving as my legislative assistants during session. They can be reached at the same telephone number and via e-mail: Christine@DavidRamadan.com and Michael@DavidRamadan.com.

Sincerely,

David Ramadan
Member, House of Delegates
Eighty-Seventh District
DelDRamadan@house.virginia.gov

REMINDER: My Telephone Town Hall Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 24th at 7:30pm. If you are not on our call list and you would like to be added, please send an e-mail toMichael@DavidRamadan.com