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News from
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| Welcome
to the newsletter from the Virginia Senate
Republican Caucus. We hope you will enjoy
this newsletter which we will send monthly or as
events warrant. If you have
suggestions on how we can improve
this newsletter, we welcome your
feedback. |
| Joint Republican
Business Caucus Hosts Initial
Meetings |
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On Tuesday,
September 22, the Joint Republican Business
Caucus (JRBC) conducted its inaugural meetings
in Hampton Roads. Founded in May, the JRBC is a
joint initiative between Republican Senators and
Delegates to establish dialogue with the
business community about pressing issues facing
the Commonwealth.
"Our Caucus has
received an overwhelmingly positive response,"
noted Senator Ryan McDougle (Hanover), co-chair
of the JRBC. "Business leaders in the
Commonwealth appreciate knowing that there are
legislators who wish to ensure that Virginia
maintains its strong business climate and who
are willing to work hand in hand with businesses
towards this goal."
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| Headlines from
Senators |
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Click on the link next to each
brief to read more
- Senator Ken Cuccinelli
continues to lead in his campaign for
Attorney General. He was recently endorsed
by the Fraternal Order of
Police and by 77
elected law enforcement professionals throughout
the Commonwealth
- Senator Emmett Hanger
launched a new website. Visit it at http://www.emmetthanger.com
- Senator Robert Hurt has
announced his candidacy for Congress in
Virginia's 5th District. He will be
seeking the Republican nomination to challenge
freshman Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello.
- Senator Steve Martin
authored an essay entitled "Really, Mr.
President?" challenging assertions made by the
president on his health care reform plan.
Read
the essay
- Senator Mark Obenshain
authored an opinion piece about Creigh
Deeds' conflicting positions on taxes. Read
"Deeds vs. Deeds on Taxes"
- Senator Frank Ruff is
working with his fellow legislators to keep the
Brunswick Correctional Center from being shut
down. The Center was slated for closure as
part of the Governor's cost cutting, but the
plan would cost valuable jobs and not raise the
revenue the Governor is anticipating. Read
more
- Senator Frank Ruff,
Chairman of the Center for Rural Virginia,
recently presided over the 2009 Rural Summit in
Lynchburg. The summit featured remarks
from Sen. Frank Wagner on
energy issues, Rep. Bob
Goodlatte on federal issues facing
rural communities, and Dr. John Thomas of UVA's
Cooper Center on communities working
together. Bob McDonnell
and a representative for Creigh Deeds spoke
on their plans for working with rural
leaders. Learn
more about the Center for Rural Virginia
- Senator Ralph Smith sent a
letter to the Governor expressing the opposition
of his constituents to the proposed closing of a
state prison in Botetourt County. Read
more
- Senator Ken Stolle, who is
currently campaigning for Virginia Beach
Sheriff, recently was recognized as "Outstanding
Legislator of the Year" by the Virginia
Sheriff's Association, and as "Senator of the
Year" by the Fraternal Order of Police. Read
more
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| Senator Profile: Sen. John
Watkins |
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 Few members
of the General Assembly have served longer than
Senator John Watkins. When he first took
his seat in the House of Delegates in 1982, only
nine other current legislators were
serving. At the time, Republicans held 42
of 140 seats in the General
Assembly.
In 1998, Sen.
Watkins was elected to the Senate to fill the
unexpired term of former Sen. Joe
Benedetti. He followed in the footsteps of
his great-grandfather, J.B. Watkins, who served
three terms in the Senate of Virginia.
Sen. Watkins currently represents the 10th
Senatorial District which includes all of Amelia
and Powhatan Counties, parts of Chesterfield,
Cumberland, Goochland, and Henrico Counties, and
part of the City of Richmond.
Senator
Watkins serves as Manager of Watkins Land, LLC,
a business that has been operated by members of
his family in Chesterfield County for
generations. As Chairman of the Board of
Watkins Nurseries, Sen. Watkins has been an
instrumental leader in both the community and
the statewide agriculture industry. He has
been honored with the Distinguished Friend of
Agriculture Award by the Virginia Agribusiness
Council, the Virginia Farm Bureau's
Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award, and
the Virginia Nurseryman's Association's
Nurseryman of the Year Award. In the
community, Sen. Watkins is a member of the Board
of Essex Bank and serves on the Board of CJW
Medical Center and Community Bankers Trust
Co. He is involved with the Midlothian
Rotary Club, American Legion Post 186, the
Chesterfield Business Council, and the Virginia
Tech Alumni Association Board.
In the Senate,
Sen. Watkins serves on the Committees on
Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural
Resources; Commerce and Labor; Finance; and
Transportation. He has developed strong
expertise in transportation, agriculture, and
electric utility issues. He chairs the
Commission on Unemployment Compensation and
serves on the Commission on Electric Utility
Regulation, the Joint Commission on Technology
and Science, and the Jamestown-Yorktown
Foundation.
Senator Watkins is
a graduate of Virginia Tech and a veteran of the
United States Army. He and his wife,
Kathy, live in Midlothian. They have three
grown sons and four grandchildren.
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| Upcoming
Events |
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| Click on each event to learn more
information on the times and location.
Please note that some Senators' events are
fundraisers with a specific price for
participation. For additional details on
any event, you may contact the designated point
of contact found by following the link for the
event.
Senators' Events
Legislative
Meetings and Events
For an updated list of Senators' Events, please
click here.
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The Virginia Senate Republican
Caucus is both the legislative and political arm
of the nineteen Republican Senators representing
upwards of four million Virginia citizens in the
world's oldest, continuous, freely elected
legislative body.
We come from all walks of life -
educators, a number of small business owners,
insurance and investment advisors, attorneys, and
CPAs. And we come from all parts of Virginia -
from coal country to the outskirts of Washington,
DC to the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and
Atlantic Ocean and everywhere in
between.
Virginia's one-term
governors come and go; but the legislature
remains. The purpose of the Senate Republican
Caucus is to:
- Promote the well being of the
Commonwealth and its people;
- Propagate the principles of the
Republican Party of Virginia;
- Provide leadership and serve as
a voice for Republicans in Virginia
- Elect and reelect
Republicans to the Senate of
Virginia
- Create a forum whereby
Republican Senators can organize, plan, and
implement their legislative
agenda.
Our operations receive no
government or taxpayer funds. We are
fully-self-supporting through member dues and
private sector contributions. Please visit our web site to learn more
about
us. |
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Virginia Senate Republican
Caucus | | |
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