It was an active year of pitched political battles in Virginia. Here are some of the top stories this year:
January
Jan. 5 Delegate Terry Kilgore proposes an $8,000 tax credit for residents who plan to shoot their cremated remains into space from any facility operated by the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority. The proposal is later left in committee
Jan. 9 Gov. Bob McDonnell heads into the General Session with an $85-billion biennial budget proposal that includes transportation and pension reforms. He must navigate the budget through a 20-20 divided Senate.
Jan. 20 Delegate Bob Marshall, R-Prince William, offers a “personhood” bill to guarantee constitutional rights to the unborn. The bill is eventually continued to the 2013 session.
Jan. 30 A new attempt at passing a voter ID law clears the House. The bill, which had died in the Senate a year ago, ultimately passes and requires voters to show one of several forms of identification at the polls.
February
Feb. 1 Despite offering the largest-single contribution to the Virginia Retirement System in history, Gov. Bob McDonnell’s $2.2 billion proposal is still short of VRS’s Annual Required Contribution recommendation.
The proposal also includes a portion of the $600 million McDonnell borrowed from the VRS to balance the budget.
Feb. 16 Republicans again make the push for passing Castle Doctrine into law, a measure that would allow deadly force by a homeowner against an intruder without prosecution. The bill becomes the subject of controversy 10 days later in Florida when the Trayvon Martin case erupts. The measure is passed onto the 2013 session.
Feb. 23 Delegate Mark Cole’s bill, HB 141, which redacts the identity of constituents emailing lawmakers in Freedom of Information Act requests, passes the Senate. McDonnell later signed the measure into law, despite concerns from sunshine advocates.
March
March 1 A proposed amendment to guarantee lost profit and lost access damages to property owners as a result of an eminent domain project passes the House. The amendment later passes by referendum in the November election with 74 percent of the vote.
March 7 Negotiations for the $85 billion state biennial budget breakdown in the Senate, where Democrats clash with Republicans over education and transportation funding issues.
March 8 McDonnell express concerns about HB 1160, a Bob Marshall bill that would prevent Virginia agencies from assisting the federal government in unlawfully detaining U.S. citizens. McDonnell later signs the bill into law after several amendments.
March 22 The use of a controversial new methamphetamine precursor tracking system, which was signed into law the week prior, raises privacy concerns in Virginia, while law enforcement in other states say the system doesn’t prevent meth labs.
April
April 10 McDonnell offers amendments to landmark voter ID and pension reform bills.
April 17 A third state budget proposal fails in the Senate, risking the state’s first government shutdown as lawmakers wrangle over Virginia’s contribution to the Silver Line Metro project.
April 18 State Sen. Charles Colgan, D-Manassas, breaks ranks to vote for the proposed state budget and ends a deadlock over Virginia’s $150-million contribution to the Silver Line project. Senate Democrats wanted $300 million. Four budget proposals were offered before passage.
April 19 The General Assembly accepts McDonnell amendments on pension reform.
April 20 Loudoun County, a critical partner in the Silver Line Metro project, asks to re-evaluate its participation in the project.
May
May 14 Activist groups gather at the AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, D.C., to discuss strategy campaign against the American Legislative Exchange Council in the wake of the Trayvon Martin stand-your-ground controversy in Florida.
May 15 McDonnell clashes with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authorityover the use of a project labor agreement on the construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line Metro project and threatens to withhold funding unless the PLA is removed.
May 18 The Virginia State Council of Higher Education for Virginia compiles a database to report the salary statistics of certain Virginia college graduates, but not their employment data. The Libertarian Party sues for greater access to Virginia’s ballot.
May 21 The inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation releases a blistering audit on alleged mismanagement and transparency issues at MWAA.
May 29 Speculation that McDonnell could be selected as Mitt Romney’s running mate dampens in the wake of contentious 2012 General Session. Romney, the Republican’s nominee for president, ultimately chooses U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan-R-Wisc., as his running mate.
May 30 An “oversight” allows the Virginia Retirement System to pay out an extra $28.7 million in benefits.
June
June 1 The MWAA audit becomes an issue in the U.S. Senate race between Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican George Allen.
June 4 More than $109 million in federal stimulus funding in Virginia goes unspent.
June 6 MWAA votes to drop the PLA after McDonnell said he will release funding.
June 11 University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan resigns.
June 14 UVA Board of Rectors breaks silence over Sullivan resignation.
June 18-20 McDonnell fires MWAA board member Dennis Martire and appoints Caren Merrick to replace him. UVA vice rector Mark Kington resigns. UVA faculty arranges silent vigil in support of Sullivan.
June 26 Teresa Sullivan is reinstated as president of the University of Virginia.
June 28 The Supreme Court upholds the Affordable Care Act.
July
July 3 Loudoun County approves the Silver Line Metro project.
July 16 Math scores on the state’s new standardized test plummet.
July 17 Virginia GOP alleges bias at PolitiFact, a fact-checking news service covering politics. Military spending will still rise, despite potential fiscal cliff cuts.
July 19 State officials on track for record-setting purge of non-citizens from voter rolls
July 31 McDonnell’s plan to put tolls on Interstate 95 meets with resistance.
August
Aug. 1 Fauquier County fines farmer $5,000 for selling produce. Protesters gather outside the county’s zoning board meeting two days later.
Aug. 14 After reports of contract deals for MWAA insiders, McDonnell, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray send a letter to the authority demanding reforms.
Aug. 16 McDonnell touts a budget surplus despite massive pension debt.
Aug. 23 Pension investments see a net return of 1.4 percent after risky bets go flat.
Aug. 28 McDonnell addresses the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., and praises economic growth in Virginia.
Aug. 29 A new report claims municipalities are fleeced by a power plant deal.
September
Sept. 4 Former congressman Virgil Goode wins approval to run for president as a Constitution Party candidate on the Virginia ballot. Virginia delegation gets a front-row seat at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., because of its swing-state status, and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine addresses the DNC.
Sept. 6 McDonnell delivers the GOP response to DNC.
Sept. 24 A lawsuit claims the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is conducting “Nazi style” air pollutant experiments on older Americans.
Sept. 25 The Pentagon admits to inadequately providing absentee ballots and voting centers to overseas military.
Sept. 28 Three Virginia TV markets are among the top 20 nationally for political attack ads aired.
October
Oct. 1 Despite sunshine laws in other states, Virginia prohibits pension public payroll disclosure.
Oct. 4 To cover Virginia’s debt, the state’s private-sector workers would have to paymore than $21,000 apiece, a report says.
Oct. 9 The U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on Virginia law said to violate the Freedom of Information Act.
Oct. 12 A green-energy subsidy is riddled with corporate tax break giveaways, environmental groups say.
Oct. 24 U.S. Rep. Jim Moran’s son Patrick gives advice on a potential voter fraud scheme in video and later resigns as field director of father’s campaign.
November
Nov. 5 An Alzheimer’s patient in Henrico County is given a ballot to vote, despite not notifying her daughter, who had a power-of-attorney over her mother’s affairs.
Nov. 6 Barack Obama defeats Romney in presidential race before Virginia is called. The Old Dominion later goes to the Democrat, and Kaine defeats Allen in Senate race
Nov. 14 Critics say the tax breaks given to the “Lincoln” movie hurt Virginia in the long run.
Nov. 15 $7.7 million digital text books program in Fairfax County mostly for naught, parents and teachers say.
Nov. 20 Virginia pays out millions to lure Washington Redskins to Richmond for two weeks a year of practice.
Nov. 28 Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling withdraws from the 2013 governor’s race.
December
Dec. 4 Red light cameras fleece motorists, lawmaker says.
Dec. 10 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe takes tax breaks to headquarter his electric car company in Mississippi, rather than Virginia, whileprospect of a new FBI building sends states scrambling for a deal.
Dec. 13 McDonnell proposes cuts to state agencies, but not the governor’s office.
Dec. 14 Virginia bill looks to take the booze, smokes and strip clubs out of welfare benefits.
Email Carten Cordell at [email protected]
