Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 21, 1993 TAG: 9301200093
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Joan Munford
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
INCREASING CHILD-CARE SAFETY THE GOAL
The Early Childhood and Day Care Commission, of which I am vice chairman, will ask the the General Assembly this session to increase licensing requirements for day-care centers. During 1992, we conducted hearings throughout the state about the availability, affordability and safety of child day-care centers. Our goal is to ensure parents that their child will have a safe and healthy environment when in a state-licensed center.Last year, I introduced legislation to distribute all proceeds from the lottery to public education, higher education and localities. The bill was carried over and will be considered this session.
The bill would direct 50 percent of the lottery funds to reduce educational disparity among the state's public schools. Twenty-five percent would go to higher education, and 25 percent would be returned to counties and cities to be used for local economic development and/or education.
I was pleased to see that Gov. Douglas Wilder included a $2.3 million bond issue for renovations to Donaldson Brown Center at Virginia Tech. These funds will help the center recover from the flash flood that hit Blacksburg last summer.
The governor, however, did not include full funding for Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech. Last year, I led an effort to restore funding after the governor proposed severe cuts in the extension budget. We were able to get funding for the first year, and will work this year to fully fund this vital program. I was very pleased by the almost unanimous support by legislators for this budget amendment last year, and expect that our amendment will be supported this year. This is a recognition of the importance of extensions to the state.
Virginia's economy has started to recover, producing a small surplus in the first year of our two-year budget. However, most of that surplus will be used to fund federal mandates in Medicaid, the construction of three new prison units and additional funds for public education. The governor also has proposed a 2 percent pay increase for state employees, an increase that will still leave state employees with average salaries at least 12 percent below those of the private sector.
Your views and opinions are important. I can be reached by phone at (804) 786-8425, or you can write to me at P.O. Box 406, Richmond Va., 23203.
Joan Munford, D-Blacksburg, is a veteran member of Virginia House of Delegates who represents Blacksburg and parts of Montgomery and Giles counties.