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 ‘transportation’
Delegate Keam quoted in Vienna Connection re ABC sales
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=343216&paper=82&cat=104
Fears, Hopes for Private Liquor Sales
Governor wants to raise transportation cash by selling off state liquor business.
By Julia O’Donoghue
Friday, July 30, 2010
Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) hopes to sell off Virginia’s state-run liquor business to generate as much as $500 million for transportation projects.
The Governor has assembled a government reform committee to investigate the issue.
The committee, which has been holding public meetings around the commonwealth this month, is expected to vote on a privatization proposal produced by McDonnell’s staff in late August.
Then, McDonnell wants to call the Virginia General Assembly back to Richmond for a special session this fall to consider privatizing liquor sales.
Several legislators said the issue of selling off the commonwealth’s liquor business is more complex than it may first appear. Two other governors, Doug Wilder and Mark Warner, also looked at privatizing liquor sales but ultimately did not pursue the issue.
McDonnell has to not only demonstrate that Virginia would receive a large lump sum of money up front but that the new private system would also produce as much annual revenue for the government as the current state-run network. Last year, the Virginia general fund received $230 million from liquor sales.
Many people, particularly county and city officials, also have concerns about the placement of the liquor stores. They want local government to be able to control where the liquor stores go so that certain neighborhoods aren’t “overrun.”
Some people are also concerned about an increase in liquor consumption and access to alcohol in general.
Previous proposals to privatize state liquor sales would make as many as 800 to 1,000 licenses for selling spirits available in Virginia. Currently, there are fewer than 350 liquor stores across the commonwealth.
Here is what your local elected officials had to say about private liquor sales coming to Virginia:
Del. Mark Keam (D-35)
The freshman delegate said he is open to the idea of private liquor sales, though he would want to see details about the implementation process. Keam also said many questions must be answered. For example, could the new liquor stores sell cigarettes and lottery tickets?
“I am still open to the idea but it is a complex issue. It is not as simple as McDonnell is making it sound,” said Keam.
Tough Road Ahead for Vienna Roads…
This afternoon, I presented HB 1124, before the Transportation Committee. My bill would have increased by 20% the state’s portion of funding to towns or cities for their road maintenance if these local roads handle 20% more average daily traffic volume than the average for the rest of the state. This was my effort to allocate state funds to the roads that need the maintenance the most, and not to treat all roads the same, as the Commonwealth currently funds these projects.