Get Ready to Vote on November 5 !

There’s an election scheduled for Tuesday, November 5.  Sunnyside will provide transportation to our polling place at Massanutten Presbyterian Church at 9:30 am and 1:30 pm. Be sure to call Transportation at 8213 to reserve a spot on the shuttle.

For whom are we voting?  Not President; that’s only in years divisible by 4.  Not US Congress; that’s only in years divisible by 2.  Odd-numbered years, like 2019, are reserved for state and local offices. 

Susan Sheridan has prepared the following detailed and informative article about offices and issues for the state election – please take the time to read and study it before you vote! 

State Offices

The Virginia General Assembly has two parts:  the House of Delegates and the State Senate.  Sunnyside is in the 25^th House of Delegates district.  Steve Landes has been our delegate for many years, but he is not running for re-election this year.  Instead, Jennifer Kitchen is the Democratic candidate for this position, and Chris Runion is the Republican candidate.  Janice Allen is an Independent candidate.  You can read about these people on the internet.  (See last paragraph.)

Sunnyside is in the 24^th Senate district.  Republican Emmett Hanger has been our state senator since 1996, and he is running for re-election.  Annette Hyde is the Democratic challenger.

Local Offices

Many local officials are on the ballot this year.  All are incumbents, all are running unopposed, and all represent the entire Rockingham County. Marsha Garst is running for Commonwealth’s Attorney; Bryan Hutcheson is running for Sheriff; Lowell Barb is running for Commissioner of Revenue, and Todd Garber is running for Treasurer.  Stephen Lohr and Kevin Craun currently serve the Shenandoah Valley District as Soil and Water Conservation Directors and are running unopposed for re-election.

Missing from our ballots this year are races for County Supervisor and School Board member. Sunnyside’s District 3 will vote for these offices in 2021.  Currently, our supervisor is Rick Chandler and our School Board member is Renee Reed.

Issues

During its annual sessions, the General Assembly discusses a myriad of issues and votes on thousands of proposed bills.  In talking to candidates about their views, it is important to distinguish between issues that can be decided at the state level and those that lie only within the purview of the Federal government. 

Abortion, Guns, Federal Taxes, Immigration, and Federal Funding for some I-81 Rebuilding – the ultimate decisions on these issues must be made at the Federal level.  It is appropriate to ask candidates for state offices about their views on these topics, but time spent on discussing how the Federal government should act on these issues is time not spent talking about what our state officials should do. 

State Budget – The 2020 General Assembly session must pass a budget for the 2020-2022 fiscal years.  This will bring up issues of state taxes and funding for various state programs.  Federal income tax rates and regulations are controlled by the Federal government, of course.  But the state does control the rates and regulations for state income taxes and state sales taxes; therefore, these are important areas in which our state delegates and senators make decisions.  Localities in Virginia set certain add-ons to sales taxes and determine real and personal property tax rates.  The Tax Foundation, a national non-profit that examines tax policy in various states, has rated Virginia’s income tax burden as the 10^th highest in the country; although our tax rate is lower than the national average, our higher-than-average median salary results in a higher tax burden.  This is particularly relevant in areas such as Northern Virginia, where salaries are higher than in the Valley.

The Tax Foundation rates Virginia’s state and local sales tax rates at 41^st in the nation, and its gas taxes as 38^th.  The gas tax may rise a bit with a higher rate imposed to fund I-81 improvements.  However, such a surtax is already in force in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads areas, and Virginia’s rank at 38^th has not changed significantly.  Overall, Virginia is considered a low tax state.  In FY2016, the Key Policy Data Group rated state and local tax burdens in Virginia as the 9^th lowest in the country.

Education, Jobs, Agriculture, and Healthcare.  State funding for education seems acceptable to most localities, and Rockingham is generous to its K-12 schools.  Rockingham and Harrisonburg are involved with several initiatives to improve the job preparedness of their graduates, and local employers such as Merck and Hershey are adding to their operations.  The expansion of Medicaid to cover more patients who had been using health insurance through the Affordable Care Act has actually resulted in some decrease in state health care costs.

But this is not to say that all is well in Virginia. Read on!

Broadband Internet, Criminal Justice, Teacher Salaries, K-12 Special Education Funding, Community College Funding, Alternative Energy Sources and Usage, Support for Agriculture, and Reducing Greenhouse Gases – these are issues likely to generate significant debate next January through April.  Many families who live in more remote areas of the state cannot access high speed internet.  This limits their ability to complete academic assignments, start businesses, and receive quick assistance from emergency medical personnel.  The criminal justice system is being asked to review its policies regarding sentences from some misdemeanors, as well as fees charged to incarcerated citizens.  Teacher salaries remain significantly below those in private sector jobs that require the same level of preparation.  Virginia is in the early stages of planning for lower emissions and increased use of alternative energy sources.  Also, many family farms are struggling because younger generations have no interest in farming.  Efforts are underway to develop apprenticeship-type programs that will match senior generations with younger people interested in farming.

As you can see, there are many reasons to learn more about the issues facing our commonwealth, and to familiarize ourselves with candidates for state and local office.  Procedures for voting, both in person and absentee, can be found at the Rockingham County website, Department of Elections tab.  Be sure to include the state in your search – Rockingham County, VA – or you are likely to be directed to the Rockingham County, North Carolina website.  For candidates, try searching on their name and the office for which they are running.  For example, type in “Jennifer Kitchen for Delegate” or merely “Kitchen State Delegate.”  Finally, when the legislative session opens next January, you can track legislation and the actions of your representatives by looking at the Legislative Information System:  https://lis.virginia.gov/.

As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.  You can catch me at x8734 or susansheridan28@gmail.com.  Happy voting!