Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
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Martinsville, Virginia 24115
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Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell (standing at table) addresses those gathered Wednesday at the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce’s Pre-legislative Luncheon. About 200 people attended the event, held at The Gallery in Martinsville. (Bulletin photo by Mike Wray) |
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
By MICKEY POWELL - Bulletin Staff Writer
Del. Don Merricks admitted Wednesday that his honeymoon is over.
Speaking during the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Pre-Legislative Luncheon, Merricks, R-Pittsylvania County, said he was not referring to his marriage of 30-plus years.
Merricks starts his second two-year term in the House of Delegates in January. The honeymoon to which he referred was his first term in office.
With the state facing a possible budget gap of at least $3.6 billion during the next 30 months, area lawmakers expect the General Assembly will be making a lot of budget cuts when it reconvenes in January.
“We’re going to have to make some tough decisions” about what to cut, Merricks said.
State Sen. Roscoe Reynolds, D-Ridgeway, said the upcoming session will be “the most difficult session I believe I’ve had to face” in his 23 years as a lawmaker, first in the House of Delegates and later the Senate.
“Significant reductions” in spending are expected, Reynolds said.
Deciding what to cut will be hard, he said, because everything the state funds is needed by a lot of people.
Despite the state’s financial hardships, Virginia has a lot to be proud of, including its recognition as the best-run state in the nation, he added.
Lawmakers spoke during the luncheon of the need for the state to create initiatives to improve the economy, particularly in Southside.
“We’ve got to create jobs to get people working,” Merricks said.
Having jobs enables people to spend money that will boost the local and state economies, he emphasized.
Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Collinsville, mentioned that unemployment in the Martinsville area is around 19 percent and has been as high as 21 percent.
The economy is “bad everywhere, but it’s worse here,” he said.
He added that the state should increase the Governor’s Opportunity Fund, which is used to seal economic development deals, as well as incentives for businesses to locate in enterprise zones.
Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, said he and state Sen. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, plan to be the chief patrons of legislation aimed at getting Interstate 73’s construction started.
Plans are for I-73 to stretch through Henry County east of Martinsville.
Hurt, who represents the 19th Senatorial District, previously served part of Henry County when he held the 16th District House seat earlier this decade.
On another matter, Armstrong said he wants to see bipartisan redistricting as a result of the 2010 census. He said that under current districting, “too many seats in the House and Senate are not competitive” in elections.
He also called for legislation enabling House ethics hearings to be held in public view.
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