General Assembly 2012

The 2012 General Assembly session begins Wednesday, January 11.  Thanks to quick and decisive action by our Legislative Committee (Billy Almond, Rob McGinnis, LuGay Lanier and Andy Scherzer), our lobbyist, L. Preston Bryant, Jr. of McGuire Woods Consulting, LLC (MWC), and the many letters, calls and emails sent by you, the membership, to the Governor's Office, Landscape Architects are not included in pending legislation to carry out the recommendations of the Governor's Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring.  There is no guarantee that someone will not try to add us back into this specific bill, or any bill, as legislation moves forward during the session.  

With this in mind, we have retained MWC for the duration of the session and throughout 2012 with the intent of not being surprised by de-licensure again. Because our scope of practice can be restricted by regulatory changes in various agencies, we will likely have to be more vigilant and track legislative and regulatory actions continuously, year after year. MWC is particularly well-suited to help us with this process and came highly recommended.

The Legislative Committee has been working closely with Preston Bryant for about two months now and is very impressed with his understanding of our situation, his diligence in attending to our November emergency and his strategies for the General Assembly session. A former Delegate, Preston knows most of the key legislators in both houses and on all relevant committees. The final committee assignments will be announced during the first week of the session. Licensure is primarily within the purview of the House General Laws Committee and the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee. Preston will schedule meetings early in the session for the Legislative Committee to meet with those legislators most important to our licensure. At this point we are awaiting specifics on these meetings and on possible contacts with the Governor's Staff and other regulatory boards and commissions that could affect our interests. The Executive Committee and the Legislative Committee will communicate with VA-ASLA members via e-blasts and other means as the process unfolds. The general approach is that since we have been removed from the recommendations, we shouldn't need to, nor would it be desirable to, make a lot of noise or a big showing initially. If all goes well, we will not have to react to any new efforts to eliminate licensure. If it turns out that a mobilization is needed, MWC and the Legislative Committee will provide detailed and timely guidance on how to react.

Retention of MWC, or any lobbyist, will be costly, averaging $2,000 per month, at least through the end of 2012. Chapter dues received from ASLA is normally about half that amount and is needed to cover the basic functions of the organization. The Spring Conference is an opportunity to net some income for the chapter and support from our sponsors helps provide additional revenue. There is no precedent for the conference and sponsorships producing anything like what will be needed to support MWC's ongoing lobbying services. Therefore, we as a chapter are going to need to seriously intensify our creativity in the generation of the revenue needed to ensure continued professional viability. The Chapter leadership will be soliciting ideas and involvement by members throughout the year in this new challenge.

Be sure to check out coverage of these developments in the December 6th issue of LAND as well.