Medicaid, School Funding Expansion in Virginia Lawmakers Final Acts of Session

McLean's Del. Barbara Comstock voted against the budget, which included $3.4 million to add 1,700 in-state undergraduate seats at Virginia universities.

By Jessica Dahlberg • Capital News Service As the 2013 legislative session came to a close, the Virginia General Assembly approved amendments to the state’s two-year budget Saturday that included expanding Medicaid and spending more money on education. The amendments were passed by both the House (on an 83-17 vote) and the Senate (31-8) after tense discussions over Medicaid, which provides medical care for lower-income residents. Legislators agreed to expand the program if certain reforms are made. Herndon's Del. Tom Rust (R-Herndon) voted for the amendments, as did Reston Del. Ken Plum (D-Reston). Sen. Mark Herring (D-Herndon, Loudoun) and Sen. Janet Howell (D-Reston) both voted for the amendments, as well.  See vote tally below. The …

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Del. Rust: A Modern Transportation System is Needed to Keep Our Businesses Moving

"Northern Virginia will not continue to attract new businesses to the region if its infrastructure frustrates the way businesses operate or slows their accessibility to clients and consumers."

Delegate Tom Rust (R-Herndon) issued the following statement regarding the General Assembly’s recent passage of the comprehensive transportation funding and reform package: Ease of transportation is a basic need — it keeps the people and businesses that sustain our economy moving, and it is a core function of government to provide for a modern transportation system that can accommodate this need. Congestion and immobility not only hurt how we go about doing business in Northern Virginia, but our very quality of life. How we go about our daily routines, the ways in which we connect with each other and with our communities, and the health of our living environments are all inextricably linked to accessibility and mobility.  Working together …

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Virginia Texting-While-Driving Bill Heads to Governor's Desk

Bill would impose harsher penalties, make texting while driving a primary offense.

A bill that would impose tougher penalties on those convicted of texting while driving cleared the state Senate on Tuesday and now heads to the desk of Gov. Bob McDonnell. Del. Tom Rust's (R-86) House Bill 1357, which also addressed texting while driving and made it a primary offense, was incorporated into the bill last week. Rust said texting while driving is reckless behavior, and "committing another reckless, dangerous act shouldn't be required to stop the first."  The bill increases the fine to $250 — up from $20 — for the first texting-while-driving offense and $500 for each subsequent conviction. It also makes texting while driving an aggravating circumstance to reckless driving, and so anyone convicted of such would face a mandatory…

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Del. Rust Texting While Driving Bill Incorporated Into HB1907

Bill, which would make texting while driving a primary offense with a fine of $250, has received wide bipartisan support,

The Virginia Legislature is vetting a number of bills that would implement harsher texting while driving laws, including Del. Tom Rust's (R-86) House Bill 1357.  Last week, the house passed House Bill 1907, which increases the fine for the first texting-while-driving offense to $250 upon conviction, and $500 for each subsequent conviction. The current fine is $20. The bill passed the House in a 92-4 vote, and was unanimously supported by the Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday. It is currently being vetted by the Senate Courts of Justice Committee.  The legislation would make texting while driving a primary offense, which means police can stop someone just on the suspicion that a driver may be texting at the wheel. As it stands, …

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Virginia DREAM Act Dies in House, Del. Rust Still Encouraged

Herndon's Del. Rust was encouraged by the support the bill received this year, and will reintroduce it next year.

The Virginia DREAM Act — legislation that would have allowed children of illegal immigrants to receive in-state college tuition — has died in Richmond, but supporters are optimistic the bill will pass next year. "I was encouraged," said Del. Tom Rust, R-Herndon, chief patron of the bill. "The bill has never gotten this far before. In fact, it's never gotten anywhere. I was encouraged by the response. It got a lot of support. I will be introducing it again next year, and I will be working on it between now and then." For the past seven years, similar legislation has died in a House subcommittee. This year, though, the measure enjoyed bipartisan, unanimous support on the subcommittee level, and it then passed the full House Education …

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Del. Rust: Transportation – A Solvable Problem

"As much as the word “tax” is decried, Virginia’s transportation system cannot be sustained or improved without additional revenue."

By Delegate Tom Rust (R-86th) Since Governor McDonnell took office as governor, major investments have been made in Virginia’s transportation infrastructure. There have been approximately $1.8 billion in bonds sold, another $1.2 billion in GARVEE bonds proposed, savings and efficiencies in VDOT of $1.4 billion and creation of the Virginia Infrastructure Bank all of which are moving forward. Major projects in Virginia include the Downtown-Midtown tunnels in Hampton Roads, the I-95 improvements, the I-495 High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes, the Route 460 improvements, the Silver Metro Line, all totaling approximately $14 billion in projects. All of this is applied to the Virginia highway system — approximately 126,000 miles — the third largest …

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Constituents Focus on Transportation at Del. Rust's Town Hall Meeting

Constituents in Rust's 86th district question tolls, transportation alternatives, taxes.

Constituents in the 86th district were able to hear an update from Del. Tom Rust, as well as ask their own questions, during his town hall meeting on Saturday at the Herndon Council Chambers. Rust said during the first three days in session they heard about 2,000 bills. He said Virginia is one of four states in the country with a AAA bond rating, and is fiscally conservative due to its constitutional requirement to have a balanced budget. “Money is basically what drives everything down there,” Rust said. He said it doesn’t matter what the issue is, “if we don’t have the money, we don’t do it.” Rust said currently Medicaid takes up 21 percent of the entire general fund budget and is growing at an unsustainable rate. One resident in …

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Bob Bruhns

1:17 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013

THINK, people! All of a sudden, our leaders realized that transportation needs will raise our taxes? How long will it be before they question the construction cost estimates that they happily accept? They might cut this or that line item out of a job - but they NEVER question the line item price number itself. Lately I am seeing line item prices that are 2.0 to 2.4 times what they should be, and …   more ›

Del. Rust to Hold Town Hall Meetings

Meetings on Tom Rust's plans for Virginia's 2013 General Assembly planned Jan. 7 and 12.

On Wednesday, the Virginia General Assembly begins its 2013 Session, which will last for 45 days.  Del. Tom Rust (R-86th), who represents Herndon and parts of Sterling Park, Oak Hill and Chantilly, has announced several ways for constituents to stay informed and to make their views known during the session. Rust will hold three town hall meetings open to the public as he begins his work: • 7 p.m. Monday at Rachel Carson Middle School, 13618 McLearen Rd., Oak Hill. A representative from Virginia Department of Transportation will be on hand to discuss snow removal procedures. • 9 a.m. Jan. 12 at the Herndon Town Council Chambers, 765 Lynn St., Herndon • 11 a.m. Jan. 12 at the Sterling Community Center, 120 Enterprise St., Sterling Local …

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Del. Rust Honored by Virginia Association of Health Plans

Herndon's Tom Rust was awarded the distinguished public service award.

Herndon's Del. Tom Rust (R-86) was honored by the membership of the Virginia Association of Health Plans at their Legislative Fall Forum on Dec. 3.  Rust was presented with the 2012 Distinguished Public Service Award. The award is given to a member of the Virginia House of Delegates as well as a member of the Virginia Senate.  VAHP's Executive Director Doug Gray said Rust's long-standing public service and work on health care issues were some of the reasons for the selection.  Upon accepting the award, Rust thanked the Virginia Association of Health Plans and said he will continue to work to improve health and access to health care for all Virginians.  Rust is a board member of the Jeanie Schmidt Free Clinic, which has expanded its …

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Photos: Local LDS Church Members Collect Food for LINK

The Herndon congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spent the weekend collecting food for LINK Against Hunger. Members also completed service projects such as landscaping at Herndon Middle School where they were joined by Del. Tom Rust (R-86). 

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