Welcome to my online constituent office. We hope you will find this website to be a useful one-stop portal for any needs you might have from the Virginia state government. We have included information to help you better understand how our government works.
You can also keep up with the policy-making process in the General Assembly during the weeks that I am working in Richmond by reading my blogs and Twitter updates.
As your State Delegate, I’m here to serve you so please contact me with any questions or services you need. I am particularly interested in hearing about ways to make our laws work better for all of us so please do not hesitate to send me policy ideas that I may be able to propose in Richmond. I am honored to represent you and I look forward to meeting you in person.
Thank you,
- DelegateKeam: Presented another Richmond report to civic group: Sully District Council. 35th Dist has only 1 precinct in Sully - called Vale - out of 18.
- DelegateKeam: Witnessing the investiture of new Fairfax Couny Circuit Court Judge Brett Kassabian whom we voted in this session. Congrats, Your Honor!
- DelegateKeam: At NoVA Asian American community town hall hosted by Virginia Asian American Advisory Board. I served on this Governor's board in 2001-09.
- DelegateKeam: Attending "Unlock Gridlock" forum in Tysons hosted by www.TeleworkVA.org and www.TeleworkExchange.com to find solutions for NoVA traffic.
- DelegateKeam: Providing another Richmond report to constituents; this time Providence District Council in Dunn Loring. Most active civic leaders I know.
Posts Tagged ‘economy’
My votes on the 2010-2012 Budget
Coming into this year’s General Assembly session, we faced two serious challenges in drafting the budget.
First, we had to meet a $4.5 billion shortfall in the two-year base budget. We had to address a $1.6 billion cut that outgoing Governor Tim Kaine proposed to eliminate for reimbursing local governments with car tax relief. We also had to fill the $2.9 billion gap for when the federal stimulus funds run out for enhanced Medicaid match program.
Second, we were told in no uncertain terms by our new Governor, Bob McDonnell, that “if you pass a bill in this recession that raises taxes on the hardworking families of Virginia, I will veto it. And if you pass a budget embedded with those same tax increases, I will not approve it.”
Delegate Keam quoted in Virginia Gazette
In this article, Delegate Keam, a member of the General Assembly’s Tourism Caucus, spoke about bringing jobs to Virginia to help our economy, using whatever incentives we can provide out-of-state employers.
http://www.vagazette.com/articles/2010/02/23/news/doc4b8299312f8ae977402882.txt
Legislators Hope to Boost Tourism
By Brittany Daniels
Monday, February 22, 2010 12:52 PM EST
Capital News Service
RICHMOND – In the old days, it might have been tobacco or coal. Now, legislators are turning to a different industry – tourism – to energize the state’s economy.
Tourism is considered a “clean industry”: It provides jobs and tax dollars that are key to maintaining Virginia’s quality of life. But tourism funding has been cut in recent years. That’s why several organizations have developed plans to boost tourism and draw more visitors to Virginia’s state parks, museums, battlefields, wineries and other attractions.
The General Assembly’s Tourism Caucus, consisting of several senators and delegates, gathered last week to discuss how to increase tourism.
Delegate Keam’s article in Fairfax County Times
This article, authored by Delegate Keam, was published in the February 2 edition of Fairfax County Times:
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/story.php?id=1000
Tuesday February 2, 2010
Mark L. Keam: Bipartisan effort to create new green jobs for Northern Virginia
On Jan. 26, I joined Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) at the State Capitol to announce a “Jobs and Opportunity Agenda,” a legislative package designed to spur job creation, promote economic development and create more opportunities for Virginians.
McDonnell agreed to include one of my legislative priorities in this General Assembly session as part of his economic agenda. My bill, HB 1132, as incorporated into the larger plan, would provide an income tax credit of $500 for each renewable energy job that an employer creates in Virginia. It would allow businesses to create up to 350 new “green” jobs that could qualify for this financial incentive.
With continuing budget shortfalls in our state and local governments and an uncertain economic outlook, I believe it is critical for our leaders in both the private and public sectors to focus on growing the economy and creating new jobs as the way to turn Virginia’s economy around.
I also believe we should use this recession as an opportunity to launch new green energy enterprises by designing policies that foster innovation, research, manufacturing and sales of services and products that develop alternative and renewable energy sources while also protecting the environment and promoting energy conservation. Clearly, Northern Virginia is an ideal location for attracting these exciting jobs of the future. We have world-class human capital, research and development facilities, transportation infrastructure, educational and governmental institutions, and a robust business base that is no stranger to innovation and cutting-edge technology.
Northern Virginia can and should be the green jobs capital of the nation.
As I stood next to the governor at the press conference on Jan. 26, I realized that although he and I had both been in our new jobs for less than two weeks, we had already begun to develop a close working relationship — across party lines — in an earnest effort to meet the needs of Virginians.
That is why, when McDonnell introduced me to speak, I said that job creation should not be a partisan issue. I joked, “There shouldn’t be red jobs and there shouldn’t be blue jobs, but we should have green jobs!” I hope that the rest of the General Assembly agrees.
Delegate Mark L. Keam represents the 35th District in the Virginia House of Delegates, which includes the Town of Vienna and portions of Tysons, Dunn Loring, Oakton and Fairfax.
Delegate Keam and Governor McDonnell team up for economic opportunities
Today was an exciting day at the Capitol. At a press conference, Governor Bob McDonnell announced his packages of legislative initiatives to kick start the economic recovery in Virginia.
One of Delegate Keam’s bills, HB 1132, was announced as part of the Governor’s “Jobs Creation” package. Keam’s bill would provide tax credits to employers who create green jobs — in renewable and alternative energy fields.
Delegate Keam had a chance to talk about the bill and the need to work across the aisle at today’s press conference. Here are some links to the Governor’s agenda and news stories:
Video of the entire press conference: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/audio/PressConAndInt/012610-JobsAgenda.mp3
Governor’s Press Release: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/News/viewRelease.cfm?id=25