Our Guest Speaker for our July meeting was Ms. Fran Brown, Amherst’s new Registrar. Ms. Brown was a lively and skilled speaker and took questions from the assembled democrats for over an hour. She brought the new forms with he and passed them out to the audience to take home and show to others. She informed us of the latest developments in the Photo ID law, which went into effect on July 1, and also covered registration of new voters. Ms. Brown urged anyone experiencing problems to contact her office in Amherst.
Here is Ms. Brown's office address:
Amherst County Courthouse
113 Taylor St
Amherst, VA 24521
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 550
Amherst, VA 24521
It’s July 10, the second thursday of the month and our regular meeting time each month and many new Virginia laws have gone into effect on the first of July, including a new voter ID law.
The new law requires Virginia voters to show an acceptable form of photo identification before being able to cast their votes in any upcoming elections.
Acceptable forms include a Virginia driver’s license; a U.S. passport or any other photo ID issued by the U.S., Virginia or one of its political subdivisions; a student ID issued by any institute of higher learning in Virginia; or any employee ID card.
Under the new law, introduced by Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg), Virginia residents who do not already possess one of the accepted forms of photo identification will be provided a photo ID card by their local registrar. They can obtain a photo ID card free of charge.
Implementing the new ID process will cost the state $166,000 in startup costs as well as $13,000 in annual costs, state officials said.
However, residents who apply for these free cards will not have to prove their identity in order to get one. At the local level, details on the process are still being finalized, says Cameron Quinn, general registrar for Fairfax County. Here in Amherst County our registrar, Ms. Fran Brown is ready to answer all questions and serve the needs of the voters. Contact her for any questions you have concerning voting, Absentee Voting, Registering to Vote in Virginia, Voter Polling Places and Voters Change of Address.
Voter registration is available to any Virginia resident who will be eighteen years of age or older by the next General election. Registration can be accomplished at the office of the General Registrar, in person, or by any of the following methods: calling for an application which can be sent and returned by mail; at DMV when obtaining or renewing a driver's license; or at any state or federal agency.
If moving within the County or to another county or city within the Commonwealth, the same procedure may be followed. The final day of registration is 22 days prior to any election.
Properly registered voters may vote by absentee ballot if they will be out of the County on election day or if they are unable to go to the polls due to physical illness or disability. An absentee precinct, where absentee ballots are counted, is located in the County offices in Amherst.
The General Registrar's office is a permanent location for voter registration, in-person absentee voting, obtaining information on candidates and referenda and other voting related information. The Registrar is responsible for all candidate filings and the maintenance of these records; providing all precincts with accurate facilities to vote and training of election officials to work the polls; recording and reporting the results of elections.
The Constitution of Virginia requires that you be registered in the precinct in which you live in order to be qualified to vote.
You may register at any DMV or miscellaneous agencies in the Commonwealth, or at our office. You may also vote absentee in-person at our office ONLY.
All requests for reasonable accommodations due to a disability should be made to the Office of the Registrar. You are encouraged to make application for voter registration.
You can call our office to verify that you are registered. Remember, a good citizen registers and VOTES.
The General Registrar for Amherst County manages all activities related to voter registration, facilitates citizen education regarding registration and voting, and works under the direction of the Electoral Board to prepare for, administer, and report the results of local, state and federal elections.
The three-member Electoral Board (appointed by the Circuit Court) and the General Registrar (appointed by the Electoral Board) have the mission of maintaining an accurate list of registered voters and administering elections in a fair, efficient, and equitable manner.
As you can see this is a big job and the foundation of our democracy. Welcome aboard Ms. Fran Brown, ACVDN knows you are up to the task and welcomes and thanks you for being one of the special persons who makes government work.
Some of the other new Virginia laws taking effect on July 1:
Hybrid car tax – The unpopular $64 annual license tax on hybrid vehicles is no more. The tax was implemented as part of a major transportation funding overhaul passed last year. The state will provide for refunds of the tax paid for registration years beginning on or after July 1.
School ratings – Implementation of the state’s A-F system to rate schools was pushed to Oct. 1, 2016. Legislation passed this year also says the Virginia Board of Education should decide whether to assign a single letter grade to each school or a series of letter grades based on multiple factors, such as the standards of accreditation, alternative assessment, student mobility and per-pupil funding.
SOL reform – Fewer Standards of Learning tests will be administered to students in grades three to eight as a result of legislation passed this year.
Sunday hunting – A landowner and his immediate family or a person with written permission from the landowner may now hunt or kill any wild bird or wild animal, including any nuisance species, on the landowner’s property on Sunday. Hunting within 200 yards of a house of worship is prohibited, as is the use of dogs to hunt deer or bear on Sundays.
Mental health – The rules have changed for holding people involuntarily for mental health evaluations. Lawmakers increased the duration of emergency custody orders from six to eight hours and required the state to find a bed for further temporary detention at one of its mental hospitals. The state then would have an additional four hours to locate a bed at a hospital closer to the person’s home. The bill was introduced by state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath), who was attacked by his son in November. Austin C. “Gus” Deeds, 24, killed himself after repeatedly stabbing his father, 13 hours after being released from an expired emergency custody order.
Ethics – The law sets a cumulative $250 limit on the amount of certain gifts elected officials can accept. It requires disclosure of gifts given to spouses and immediate family members and increases transparency of financial disclosure forms by putting them online. It also lowers the threshold for reporting of stock holdings and investments on financial disclosure forms from $10,000 to $5,000.
Mopeds – Moped and scooter drivers in Virginia do not need to be licensed, but will be required to carry government-issued photo identification. Drivers and passengers will also be required to wear a helmet, as well as a face shield or safety glasses or goggles. Mopeds and scooters operated in Virginia also need to be titled and registered. Titles cost $10, and the annual registration fee is $20.25.
Bicycle safety – Bicyclists will have more room between them and passing cars under a law that requires motorists to give 3-foot clearance to cyclists. Previously, the law required 2 feet of clearance by passing vehicles.
Fox penning – Virginia is phasing out pens in which dogs chase captive foxes. The legislation passed allows Virginia’s more than 30 pens to keep operating for up to 40 years, but bans new pens.
Pet owners protection – Pet shop or licensed pet dealers will be required to provide breeder information for dogs or cats for sale and to reimburse consumers for some medical costs related to dogs or cats certified by a veterinarian as unfit for purchase. Previous law only required dealers to refund the purchase price or exchange the unfit pet for one of equivalent value.
Illegal images – It is now a Class 1 misdemeanor to disseminate or sell an unauthorized nude or sexually explicit image of another person with the intent to harass, coerce or intimidate the person depicted.
Even With all the Pressure the President finds time to Smile.
Shopping with the Kids
House Republicans Sue President Obama for daring to do his job while they draw their pay for doing nothing.
The Man Leading the House Republicans in Suing the President
Asked about a Republican-led effort to sue him for executive overreach, President Obama said Thursday: “I am not particularly worried about it.”
Dancing with Michelle
House Republicans — led by South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice — have introduced what they call the STOP Act, which stands for Stop This Overreaching Presidency. It aims to take the president to court over the White House taking unilateral action on everything from Obama care to immigration.
Republicans being quite simple creatures are fond of reducing long titles to a short series of letters. Thus the STOP act, easy to remember and simple to shout in crowds and good for bumper stickers and fundraising. Fund raising is the only activity other than whining and obstructing that republicans participate in.
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Obama made clear he plans to use executive orders to enact policies he cannot get passed in Congress.
CNN host Jake Tapper — during an interview on Thursday in Waukesha, Wisconsin — asked Obama about the The Stop Act. “They want to rein in what you’re trying to do,” Tapper said. “How do you respond to that?”
“Well, I don’t think that’s very serious,” Obama replied. “I mean, the truth of the matter is, is that every president engages in executive actions. In fact, we’ve been very disciplined and sparing in terms of the executive actions that we have taken.”
“We make sure that we’re doing it within the authority that we have under statute,” Obama said. “But I am not going to make an apology for saying that if I can help middle class families and folks who are working hard to try to get in the middle class do a little bit better, then I’m going to do it.”
Pressed by Tapper if the Stop Act is “not something you take seriously,” Obama responded: “I am not particularly worried about it.”
During a recent floor speech, Rice made the case for the STOP Act.
“The Legislative branch makes the laws and the Executive Branch enforces our laws,” he said. “They did this to protect our very, very fragile freedom and we cannot allow those separations to be eroded.”
Here are some photos of the President relaxing in spite of the republican continual obstruction.
Amherst County Virginia Democratic News
ACVDN
Hybrid car tax – The unpopular $64 annual license tax on hybrid vehicles is no more. The tax was implemented as part of a major transportation funding overhaul passed last year. The state will provide for refunds of the tax paid for registration years beginning on or after July 1.
School ratings – Implementation of the state’s A-F system to rate schools was pushed to Oct. 1, 2016. Legislation passed this year also says the Virginia Board of Education should decide whether to assign a single letter grade to each school or a series of letter grades based on multiple factors, such as the standards of accreditation, alternative assessment, student mobility and per-pupil funding.
SOL reform – Fewer Standards of Learning tests will be administered to students in grades three to eight as a result of legislation passed this year.
Sunday hunting – A landowner and his immediate family or a person with written permission from the landowner may now hunt or kill any wild bird or wild animal, including any nuisance species, on the landowner’s property on Sunday. Hunting within 200 yards of a house of worship is prohibited, as is the use of dogs to hunt deer or bear on Sundays.
Mental health – The rules have changed for holding people involuntarily for mental health evaluations. Lawmakers increased the duration of emergency custody orders from six to eight hours and required the state to find a bed for further temporary detention at one of its mental hospitals. The state then would have an additional four hours to locate a bed at a hospital closer to the person’s home. The bill was introduced by state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath), who was attacked by his son in November. Austin C. “Gus” Deeds, 24, killed himself after repeatedly stabbing his father, 13 hours after being released from an expired emergency custody order.
Ethics – The law sets a cumulative $250 limit on the amount of certain gifts elected officials can accept. It requires disclosure of gifts given to spouses and immediate family members and increases transparency of financial disclosure forms by putting them online. It also lowers the threshold for reporting of stock holdings and investments on financial disclosure forms from $10,000 to $5,000.
Mopeds – Moped and scooter drivers in Virginia do not need to be licensed, but will be required to carry government-issued photo identification. Drivers and passengers will also be required to wear a helmet, as well as a face shield or safety glasses or goggles. Mopeds and scooters operated in Virginia also need to be titled and registered. Titles cost $10, and the annual registration fee is $20.25.
Bicycle safety – Bicyclists will have more room between them and passing cars under a law that requires motorists to give 3-foot clearance to cyclists. Previously, the law required 2 feet of clearance by passing vehicles.
Fox penning – Virginia is phasing out pens in which dogs chase captive foxes. The legislation passed allows Virginia’s more than 30 pens to keep operating for up to 40 years, but bans new pens.
Pet owners protection – Pet shop or licensed pet dealers will be required to provide breeder information for dogs or cats for sale and to reimburse consumers for some medical costs related to dogs or cats certified by a veterinarian as unfit for purchase. Previous law only required dealers to refund the purchase price or exchange the unfit pet for one of equivalent value.
Illegal images – It is now a Class 1 misdemeanor to disseminate or sell an unauthorized nude or sexually explicit image of another person with the intent to harass, coerce or intimidate the person depicted.
Even With all the Pressure the President finds time to Smile.
House Republicans Sue President Obama for daring to do his job while they draw their pay for doing nothing.
Asked about a Republican-led effort to sue him for executive overreach, President Obama said Thursday: “I am not particularly worried about it.”
House Republicans — led by South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice — have introduced what they call the STOP Act, which stands for Stop This Overreaching Presidency. It aims to take the president to court over the White House taking unilateral action on everything from Obama care to immigration.
Republicans being quite simple creatures are fond of reducing long titles to a short series of letters. Thus the STOP act, easy to remember and simple to shout in crowds and good for bumper stickers and fundraising. Fund raising is the only activity other than whining and obstructing that republicans participate in.
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Obama made clear he plans to use executive orders to enact policies he cannot get passed in Congress.
CNN host Jake Tapper — during an interview on Thursday in Waukesha, Wisconsin — asked Obama about the The Stop Act. “They want to rein in what you’re trying to do,” Tapper said. “How do you respond to that?”
“Well, I don’t think that’s very serious,” Obama replied. “I mean, the truth of the matter is, is that every president engages in executive actions. In fact, we’ve been very disciplined and sparing in terms of the executive actions that we have taken.”
“We make sure that we’re doing it within the authority that we have under statute,” Obama said. “But I am not going to make an apology for saying that if I can help middle class families and folks who are working hard to try to get in the middle class do a little bit better, then I’m going to do it.”
Pressed by Tapper if the Stop Act is “not something you take seriously,” Obama responded: “I am not particularly worried about it.”
During a recent floor speech, Rice made the case for the STOP Act.
“The Legislative branch makes the laws and the Executive Branch enforces our laws,” he said. “They did this to protect our very, very fragile freedom and we cannot allow those separations to be eroded.”
Here are some photos of the President relaxing in spite of the republican continual obstruction.
Amherst County Virginia Democratic News
ACVDN
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