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apitol
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pring
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Delegate Dave LaRock
The first two months I spent working
in the Virginia House of Delegates helped
me appreciate the effort and coordination
that goes into our legislative process. The
discussions, meetings, and visits from
interested citizens, fellow legislators, and
advocates represented only the tip of the
iceberg, a sampling of a much greater
cumulative effort for everyone engaging
to change our legislative landscape. This
included myself; building a coalition to
move our legislation forward was no small
task.
Passing legislation is hard for a good reason. The resistance to
change built inherent in our legislative process demands improvement
and flexibility. It demands cooperation from interested stakeholders,
input from subject matter experts, and support from the citizens and
workers it will affect. Virginia has a high standard for ideas—they
don’t just have to be good, they have to be great, as near perfect
as possible. This doesn’t just require a collective effort, it requires
humility. It means the people who support an idea have to be open to
change, and it also means that the people who oppose an idea need to
be open to improvement.
I believe our legislature maintains a healthy balance of
cooperation, humility, and questioning that serves us well, and will
continue to serve our Commonwealth as a whole well. I look forward
to helping develop and shape new ideas that will improve Virginia
by protecting our liberty and improving our business standing, and at
the same time maintaining the values built into our laws that already
do just that.
Settle and AssociatesLLC
Richard L. Settle
Settle and Associates LLC
288 Clubhouse Drive
Abingdon, Virginia 24211–3839
Phone: 276-676-4444
Mobile: 804-240-1850
Editor’s note:
We appreciate the legislators who contributed to this issue of the magazine. We are always accepting contributions from legislators for
future issues. If you are interested in submitting please contact publisher David Bailey at
Senator Jennifer Wexton
As someone who had never served
in elected office I wasn’t sure quite what
to expect when I came to Richmond to
replace the 33
rd
District’s outgoing Senator,
Attorney General Mark Herring. My special
election took place three weeks into session,
on January 21, 2014, in the midst of one
of the many snowstorms that took place
throughout our campaign season. I was
sworn in three days after my election, and
the Senate reorganized on my second day
on the job. It was an exciting time to be a
new Senator, to say the least. “Drinking from the fire hose” is an apt
expression, and one I heard hundreds of times before…and after...
crossover.
Coverage about debates in the Senate in newspapers and on
television focuses almost exclusively on the areas where groups
of senators strongly disagree. However, it was my experience that,
on a majority of bills, senators of both parties work together to
advance legislation that will benefit Virginians in every part of the
Commonwealth. It was refreshing to see how much senators and
delegates of different parties come together for the common good
most of the time.
I also enjoyed my time in committee, listening to the merits
of different pieces of legislation and diving into the minutia of the
law. I know that I am far from the first lawyer to join the General
Assembly, but as a practicing lawyer, I felt very comfortable reading
and analyzing the hundreds of pieces of legislation that came before
my committees. I look forward to future sessions when I will be able
to put forward my own legislation to advance the priorities of my
constituents and the people of Northern Virginia.
Delegate Terry Austin
First let me thankMr. Bailey and Capitol
Connections for his effort to support me in
my role as Delegate to the 19th House seat.
I came to Richmond with the understanding
I had a lot to learn and I left after 60 days
having learned a lot, but knowing I still
have a lot to learn. There is a lot of benefit
to accumulated knowledge, however, I
found no one who was selfish in regard to
sharing or supporting someone who asked
a question. Virginia truly has some great
people, and they help you wanting you to
contribute and help your constituents.
I must say I was very impressed with the process, which, from
draft to implementation, enacts a bill into law. If the bill is not worthy,
or needs modification it simply does not advance. Additionally, if
after a year on the rolls, a bill needs tweaking, that can happen, as
well. I must say, the system works and works very well. I felt very
comfortable in my roll as a freshman Delegate, it took about a week
to catch my breath and get into a groove on how to best use my time.
The committee meetings happen so fast, at first they were over before
I knew they had begun! But it didn’t take long for me to catch on and
be ready. The Chairmen of my committees were very helpful and
made sure to include me and ask for my opinion.
The work doesn’t stop when you leave Richmond; I have been
very busy in the district attending meetings. What would life be
without challenges, and what a great honor in life, to contribute to the
quality of life in the Commonwealth.
Reflections from Class of 2014
Delegate Robert S. Bloxom Jr
.
100th District
R - Counties of Accomack and
Northampton; Cities of Norfolk (part)
and Virginia Beach (part)
Newest Member
of the House
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