This is a commentary from Del. Ken Plum (D-Fairfax), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.

The best way I can describe the 2017 session of the General Assembly is to call it a mixed bag. Some good work was done for sure, but if not for the governor’s veto pen, it would have been marred by some backward legislation. Most disappointing are the missed opportunities that were not addressed in the 46-day short session.

Although budget matters are supposed to be dealt with only in the long, even-year session, there are budget adjustments that creep into the short session as well. The good news is that the Assembly passed amendments to the biennium budget to bring it back into balance from a $1.2 billion shortfall in revenue. There were reductions, but the governor proposed and the Assembly agreed to keeping 3 percent salary increases for state employees who have been without a raise for many years. Funds were provided for the state share of a 2 percent raise for teachers. Additional funds were provided to deal with the critical needs in mental health care.

Four bills were passed to deal with the opioid epidemic. They established needle exchange programs, increased access to the overdose drug naloxone, increased services to infants exposed to opioids in utero, and strengthened opioid prescription policies. Five million dollars was appropriated for permanent supportive housing for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless because of mental illness. A bill to require insurance companies to cover a 12-month supply of prescription birth control also passed.

Of the bills I opposed, most will be vetoed by the governor. Not only did a committee in the House defeat my bill to require universal background checks for gun purchases, but it passed several bills to make access to guns easier. The Republicans do not have the supermajority that is needed to overturn the governor’s veto of these bills. Likewise, the governor is expected to veto a bill that would prevent localities from becoming “sanctuary” zones. He has already vetoed a bill that would have denied funding to Planned Parenthood, and the House was not able to override his veto.

Despite public support for establishing an independent system to draw legislative boundary lines, my bill and several others with that goal were defeated in a House committee. Bills that passed the Senate on this issue were defeated in the same House committee. The public support for legislation that would prevent legislators from being able to pick their own voters was as strong as I have seen on an issue in recent years.

Beware that a new law passed that creates a fine of $100 for failing to drive on the right side of the road. The intent of this new law is to prevent slow drivers from driving in the left lane. Legislation that would have created a bill of rights for college student loan borrowers did not pass.

A Reston startup run by veterans, for veterans has been honored by the Commonwealth of Virginia for its efforts.

StreetShares, a small-business funding operation geared toward military vets, has received recognition as a certified company by Virginia Values Veterans. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe presented a first-place award from the program to CEO Mark Rockefeller during a Wednesday ceremony at the company’s headquarters (1985 Isaac Newton Square West).

“Exactly what you’re doing, we’re trying to do at the state level,” McAuliffe said. “We’ll be the first state in the United States of America that actually does that, to help our veterans who want to be entrepreneurs who need a little lift there.”

Thrilled to announce @StreetShares as the latest V3-certified business. Thx for empowering VA veteran-entrepreneurs to grow our economy! pic.twitter.com/XU23ot2GBT

— Terry McAuliffe (@GovernorVA) February 1, 2017

StreetShares has facilitated more than 1,000 loans for veteran-owned small businesses across the country, with many of those coming in Virginia.

“When I came back from Iraq in December of ’08, I realized that I was representative of a generation of veterans who would want to start businesses the way that our grandparents did after World War II,” said Rockefeller, a nine-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. “We had to solve that, as veterans do, by turning to each other — and that is what StreetShares does.”

John Harvey, Virginia’s Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, spoke during the event to praise both McAuliffe’s and StreetShares’ commitment to the commonwealth’s veterans.

“You invest in Virginia’s veterans and you invest in Virginia,” Harvey said. “It’s just the perfect combination for growth, for building that new Virginia economy that’s so important to our future.”

Also during the ceremony, McAuliffe announced that he is expanding the V3 program’s goal for hiring veterans within the state. Originally aiming for 10,000 veteran hires by the end of his term, the new goal calls for 25,000.

Today I'm proud to announce we are doubling down on our commitment to connect Virginia Veterans with great jobs in V3 companies! pic.twitter.com/pVx6aDgosc

— Terry McAuliffe (@GovernorVA) February 1, 2017

Rockefeller said StreetShares would continue to do all it can to help toward the goal.

“The businesses that we are funding, each of them goes on to hire veterans, just like we have,” he said. “StreetShares wants to commit to funding companies to produce 1,000 of those [hires] toward [McAuliffe’s] 25,000 goal in the next 12 months.”

Each month, the StreetShares Foundation names 10 veteran-owned small businesses from across the nation as finalists for grant funding, made possible through a partnership with JPMorgan Chase. Online voting determines the top 3, which receive grants for $5,000 (first), $3,000 (second) and $2,000 (third).

This month’s finalists were announced at Wednesday’s event:

Nicole Amelio-Casper, Amelio Media LLC (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Keith King, National Veteran Business Development Council (Detroit, Michigan)

Meegan Mackay, Artes pro Vita Academy (Altus, Oklahoma)

Chris Nichols, Narrows Hill LLC (Swanton, Maryland)

Richard Sanders, SHplates (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Graciela Tiscareno-Sato, Gracefully Global Group LLC (Hayward, California)

Scott Tucker, Be Financially Fit (San Diego, California)

John Van Horn, Veteran Unmanned Solutions LLC (Marietta, Georgia)

Jaime Velez, PingMomo (Chicago, Illinois)

Brian Zimmerman, Income Designers (Castle Rock, Colorado)

Voting will be available on the foundation’s website.

Weather Changes Schedules for Kids — Schools in Fairfax County are on a two-hour delay today due to the winter weather that struck overnight. The weather is expected to continue to fluctuate throughout the week, with highs around 50s projected for the next two days, followed by a return of winter heading into the weekend. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Governor to Be in Reston This Week — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is scheduled to travel to Reston on Wednesday morning. The governor’s official schedule for this week includes the visit to StreetShares, in Isaac Newton Square, to announce finalists for the Veteran Small Business Awards. [Governor’s Office]

Airport Protesters Decry Immigrant Ban — Washington Dulles International Airport saw a number of protesters at the international terminal over the weekend. The demonstrators were there to show their support for immigrants after President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning international travelers from a number of Muslim countries. [Washington Post]

Fairfax County Preschools Will Get More Money — Virginia officials announced yesterday that the commonwealth has secured $17.5 million in federal funding for expanding access to high-quality pre-kindergarten classes for at-risk 4-year-olds. A portion of that money is earmarked for Fairfax County preschools. The U.S. Department of Education gave the preschool grants to eighteen states in total. [Virginia.gov]

Fight Over Silver Line Funding Continues — Metro Board member Corbett Price engaged in “naive political theater” when he suggested scrapping that the second phase of the Silver Line extension in order to save money, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) said in a radio interview yesterday. The governor also said the board as a whole was a “joke.” [Washington Post]

Where’s the Best Place to Get a Christmas Tree Near Reston? — Besides the lot at Home Depot, Reston Patch points out a few of the closest spots to Reston where you can pick out the perfect tree for your Christmas celebration. If you prefer to go the traditional versus artificial tree route, tell us in the comments where your favorite place to get a tree is. [Reston Patch]

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Correction: An earlier version of this post had an incorrect stadium rendering/model attached to it.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said on Friday the commonwealth is in “very serious negotiations” with the Washington Redskins to build a new stadium — possibly in the area along Metro’s Silver Line.

McAuliffe said on ESPN 980’s “Cooley & Kevin” show Friday he hosted team owner Dan Snyder and franchise officials at the governor’s mansion Thursday night. The team is in Richmond for training camp until next week.

McAuliffe said a stadium site in Virginia would be located near a Metro station. In the interview, he listed areas along the Silver Line, including Tysons, “Reston/Wiehle, and then to Dulles Airport with the Silver Line, and then further into Loudoun.”

The second phase of the Silver Line, which will run from Wiehle-Reston East to Dulles and into Ashburn, where the team currently trains, will be complete in 2020.

While areas west of Reston may have available land suitable for a stadium, there is virtually no space in Reston that could accommodate a stadium and associated parking.

Meanwhile, the team is locked into a lease at FedEx Field in Landover, through 2027. However, Snyder has already hired architects at Bjarke Ingels Group, which has worked up concept drawings.

McAuliffe said Virginia’s booming population and a strong economy are among reasons why Virginia should be the stadium location.

He also mentioned that the majority of season ticket holders live in Virginia, as do most of the players because the team trains in Ashburn.

“We have plenty of land, obviously, to do this. … If I’m looking to put a sports team, where are most of my fans? Where’s most of my income come from? Where do all my players live? That’s Virginia,” McAuliffe said. “So, I think from the team’s perspective, looking at it that way is important.”

Rendering of new Washington Stadium/Credit: Bjarke Ingels Group and “60 Minutes.”

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova has been named by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe as a member of the Board of Visitors for the University of Mary Washington.

Board of Visitors serve a four-year term and may be appointed to an additional term. Another high-profile person from this area, Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Ingrao, is on the UMW Board.

“I thank Governor McAuliffe for this appointment and am honored to serve in this capacity,” said Bulova in a release. “The University of Mary Washington is a top-notch institution and I look forward to working with board, faculty and staff members of the university.  My daughter Karin graduated UMW in 1993 and has many happy memories of her years on campus.”

Said McAuliffe: “Virginia’s economic future runs through our colleges and universities, and the leaders I appointed to Boards of Visitors this year understand the imperative to strengthen our academic institutions and make them more accessible to students from all walks of life. I ask each [Board member] to use his or her knowledge and experience to foster innovation at their institutions, to keep the burden of tuition as low as possible and to emphasize access and completion for every student.”

Sharon Bulova/file photo

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has signed an executive directive Wednesday instructing state transportation officials to facilitate the creation and staffing of a Metro Safety Commission.

The commission will have the authority to oversee compliance with safety directives at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Executive Directive 8 also instructs the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to review all accident investigations related to the Metrorail system, to inspect public and nonpublic areas of the system, and to assess the state of repair for all trains, tracks and other infrastructure.

“Our administration has been a constant advocate for stronger safety protections for the commuters who use the Metrorail system each day, including more than 300,000 Virginians,” McAuliffe said in a statement. “We concur with the direction of the new leadership at WMATA and its work to ensure that safety is the central goal of the Metrorail system. By establishing the Metro Safety Commission and collaborating with our partners in Maryland and the District of Columbia, we are putting in place the necessary policies and oversight to ensure that safety continues to be the top priority.” Read More