For Release: Oct. 4, 2006
Contact: J. Tucker Martin or David Clementson
Email: jtmartin@oag.state.va.us or dclementson@oag.state.va.us
Phone: 804-786-2071
Attorney General McDonnell’s Government and Regulatory Reform Task Force Holds First Meeting
RICHMOND - Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell embarked today on one of the major focuses of his term as Attorney General: a systematic review of all state regulations to minimize the adverse impact on commerce and society while preserving the important public safety, health and welfare protections that many of the regulations provide. The effort began with the first official meeting of his Government and Regulatory Reform Task Force. The meeting was held in the General Assembly Building in Richmond.
Speaking about the first meeting, and the overall goal for his Task Force, Attorney General McDonnell remarked, “Unnecessary or excessive regulations are like hidden taxes on individuals and businesses. They are impediments to economic growth and entrepreneurship, and pose potential limitations on individual liberties. Currently, the state administrative code is 24,000 pages long. While many of these regulations may have been enacted for the purpose of ensuring public safety or protecting consumer interests, many are left on the books after they have served their purpose, or have become unnecessary in light of technological improvements. The goal of this Task Force is to find burdensome and unnecessary regulations and remove them from the state administrative code.”
McDonnell continued noting, “This is not a short term exercise. This Task Force will exist for the duration of my term as Attorney General, and it will be an active and vigorous Task Force. There is bipartisan support for this effort, and I especially commend the Governor for his specific support of this effort. I look forward to working with leaders from both the public and private sectors to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses and individuals.”
Attendees of today’s Task Force meeting heard from a number of authorities on state regulations. Among those who gave presentations were Mark Rubin, Senior Advisor to Governor Tim Kaine; Senator Frank Wagner (R-Virginia Beach); Delegate Steve Landes (R-Weyers Cave); Dr. Radwan Saade of the Small Business Administration; Dr. Don King of the Mercatus Center; and Wilmer Stoneman of the Virginia Farm Bureau. In addition the Chairman of the Task Force, former Delegate Jack Rust, briefed the Task Force members on the organization and guidelines of the Task Force moving forward.
The Task Force will cover the entire state administrative code, starting this year with a focus on small business, healthcare, and agriculture. Members of the Task Force are listed below. In addition, the Task Force encourages the public to join in the process by submitting any regulations they deem to be excessive, burdensome, or unnecessary. Members of the public can do so easily by emailing: regreform@oag.state.va.us.
Attorney General Bob McDonnell’s Government and Regulatory Reform Task Force Membership
TASK FORCE MEMBERS:
Jim Beamer, JWB Consulting, Richmond
Jeff Brooke, Attorney, Huff Poole & Mahoney, P.C., Norfolk
Dr. Alvin Bryant, US Army Retired, Surgeon, Hampton
Dan Clemente, CDC Real Estate Holdings, Vienna
Walter Curt, Businessman, Harrisonburg
Gordon Dixon, Virginia Director, National Federation of Independent Businesses, Richmond
Dr. Jerry Ellig, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, Arlington
Frank Genovese, President, The Rothbury Corporation, Richmond
Kevin Gentry, Vice President, Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation
Nancy Howell Agee, Chief Operating Officer, Carilion Health System, Roanoke
The Honorable Steve Landes, Member, House of Delegates, Weyers Cave
Irene Leech, President, Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, Blacksburg
Jorge Lozano, CEO & President, Condortech Services, Inc., Annandale
Donna Pugh Johnson, President, Virginia Agribusiness Council, Richmond
John Olivieri, President, Associated Development Management Corp., Virginia Beach
Mike Quillen, President and CEO, Alpha Natural Resources, Abingdon
Scott Rigell, Owner/President, Freedom Automotive, Virginia Beach
Tim Robertson, President, Bay Shore Enterprises, Virginia Beach
Mark Rubin, Senior Advisor to the Governor, Richmond
The Honorable Jack Rust, Attorney, Annandale
Larry Sartoris, President, Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, Glen Allen
Cliff Schroeder, Sr., President, Chronos, Ltd., Richmond
Rick Sharp, Chairman, Carmax, Inc., Richmond
Brenda Skidmore, Senior Vice President, Suntrust, Richmond
Jacquelyn Stone, Esq., Partner, McGuireWoods, Richmond
Brett Vassey, President & CEO, Virginia Manufacturers Association, Richmond
The Honorable Frank Wagner, Member, State Senate, Virginia Beach
Michel Zajur, Founder/CEO, Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Richmond
AGRICULTURE WORKING GROUP
The Honorable William Barlow, Member, House of Delegates, Smithfield
Hobey Bauhan, President, Virginia Poultry Federation, Harrisonburg
John Boyd, President, National Black Farmers’ Association, Baskersville
Jonathan Cavin, Farmer, Ewing
Bill Dickinson, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry
Lynn Gayle, Farmer, Onancock
Lisa Guthrie, Executive Director, Virginia League of Conservation Voters, Richmond
The Honorable Charlie Hawkins, Member, Senate of Virginia, Chatham
Paul Howe, Executive Vice President, Virginia Forestry Association, Richmond
Bill McKinnon, Executive Secretary, Virginia Cattlemen's Association, Daleville
Martha Moore, Director of Government Relations, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Richmond
The Honorable Phil Puckett, Member, State Senate, Tazewell
The Honorable Chris Saxman, Member, House of Delegates, Staunton
Dennis Treacy, Vice President, Environmental and Corporate Affairs, Smithfield Foods, Smithfield
Tucker Watkins, Office of Senator George Allen, Randolph
SMALL BUSINESS WORKING GROUP
The Honorable Charles Colgan, Member, State Senate, Manassas
Leonard Edloe, Edloe’s Pharmacy, Richmond
Rhoda Elliot, President, Bill's Barbecue, Richmond
Barry Grizzard, Chairman, Virginia Petroleum, Convenience and Grocery Association, Emporia
Thomas Johnson, Thomas A. Johnson Furniture Co., Lynchburg
Jack Kreuter, President, Jack Kreuter Jewelers, Richmond
Howard Lee, Esq., Managing Director and Executive Secretary, Cosmos Alliance, Lorton
Lowell Morse, President, Morse and Associates, Inc., Virginia Beach
George Peyton, Vice President, Government Relations, Retail Merchants Association, Richmond
David Smith, Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade, Richmond
Ann Sullivan, President, Madison Services Group, Inc., McLean
The Honorable Lee Ware, Member, House of Delegates, Powhatan
HEALTHCARE WORKING GROUP
Mary Lynne Bailey, Vice President, Legal & Government Affairs, VA Healthcare Association, Richmond
Doug Bevelacqua, Healthcare Consultant, Newport News
William Caldwell, CEO, Retreat Hospital, Richmond
Nancy Davenport-Ennis, CEO & President, National Patient Advocate Foundation, Newport News
Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, Director of Health Care Technology/Public Sector, Oracle Teresa Haller, MSN, MBA, RN, President, Virginia Nurses Association, Richmond
Gail Jaspen, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Richmond
The Honorable Benjamin Lambert, Member, State Senate, Richmond
The Honorable Stephen Newman, Member, State Senate, Forest
The Honorable John O'Bannon, M.D., Member, House of Delegates, Richmond
Dr. Dianne Reynolds-Cane, M.D., Past President of Virginia Board of Medicine, Glen Allen
Dr. Lou Rossiter, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, William and Mary, Williamsburg
Dr. Norris Royston, Jr., M.D., President, Medical Society of Virginia, Warrenton
The Honorable Mark Sickles, Member, House of Delegates, Alexandria
Rebecca Snead, R.Ph., Executive Director, Virginia Pharmacists Association, Richmond
Dr. William Ward, D.C., Vice President, Virginia Chiropractic Association, Fredericksburg
The Honorable John Welch, Member, House of Delegates, Virginia Beach
Cal Whitehead, Whitehead Consulting, LLC, Richmond
