Facing a budget-shortfall amount unprecedented in the state’s history, Virginia’s legislators have an enormous task ahead of them in the General Assembly session that began this week. And it won’t be easy.

"Because of the seriousness of the budget deficit, we need to expend a significant effort getting it reconciled," said Del. Chuck Caputo (D-67th). "And it’s going to take hard work from both sides of the aisle."

But he’s hopeful that, despite the last session’s partisan politics that impeded progress and agreements on a slew of issues — most notable, transportation — the legislators will somehow be able to put their differences aside because the financial situation is so dire that they simply must.

"I think it’ll bring us together in a bipartisan fashion because we know we’re dealing with the same issue — $3 billion in shortfalls — and we’ll have to make it up in the 2010 budget," said Caputo. "The governor has already laid down the gauntlet in terms of presenting to the General Assembly his very-well-thought-out budget revisions for 2010."

While he can’t speak for the mindset of the Senate, he said that, as a legislator representing the 67th District, "I’d like to think we in the House of Delegates can negotiate and come together on the issues. No one there doesn’t want our education to be top-notch and continue to improve."

Caputo said the legislators need to examine each of the core areas — education, law enforcement, health services and transportation — "to see what is the minimum level of hurt we can apply to each of them." He’s also eager to receive the results of 20,000 surveys he mailed out last week to his constituents in the 67th.

"They’re basically six, broad questions, and I’m looking forward to the feedback and will act accordingly in the General Assembly," said Caputo. He plans to hold a town hall meeting, Saturday, Jan. 31, at 10 a.m., in the Sully District Governmental Center. At that time, local residents may respond further to him about the issues on their minds and he’ll be able to tell them how things are going in the General Assembly.

REGARDING HIS OWN legislation, he’s working on a bill requiring background checks for private sales at gun shows. Currently, he said, federally licensed firearms dealers are required to conduct a background check on potential purchasers "so they don’t sell guns to felons, the mentally deranged or people who are convicted of domestic violence or are under restraining orders."

But sellers at gun shows have no such obligations, so Caputo hopes passage of such legislation will be a "major, first step" at rectifying this situation. "You have to start someplace and, to me, it’s just a blatant problem, right now," he said. And although a similar bill of his failed, last time, he’s not giving up. Said Caputo: "I know this is a tough sell, but I’m trying again, this year."

He’s also giving a second outing to a Good Samaritan bill that, last time, didn’t get heard. During the last session, he said, three underage teens were drinking in the woods in South Riding, when one collapsed and became unconscious. "The others were scared so, rather than call the police, they dropped the kid’s body in the parking lot of Little River Elementary School, and he died," said Caputo. "The police found him, the next day."

Caputo’s bill says that, when faced with such a situation — even if their actions helped cause it — if those involved call 911 and get help for the person, it will be taken into account when they go to court. A second part to this bill would provide the same consideration, under similar circumstances, in the case of parents who host drinking parties for teens.

Another bill would allow no-excuse, absentee voting. "Right now, you have to give one of 17 reasons why you’re not able to vote on Election Day," he said. "This way, you wouldn’t have to give a reason."

Caputo also wants to extend the exemption for hybrid, clean-fuel vehicles to use HOV lanes for another year. He said many people bought these vehicles and, at the moment, "there’s no reason to shut them off."

LAST YEAR, Caputo successfully passed a bill to replace the words "mentally retarded" with "intellectual disability" in the state code. But it needs to be reenacted and is endorsed by ARC of Northern Virginia, which advocates for those with intellectual disabilities. Caputo said federal statutes still contain the old wording, so the legislators wanted to revise this bill to make sure the wording in the state code doesn’t clash with federal wording.

"This one should pass again," he said. "It’s one of my primary bills because the stigma of being called a retard in this community is terrible, and we’d like to change this terminology."

In addition, Caputo’s still trying to get an adoption-expense tax credit for adoptive parents. "If you’re going to adopt a child, you should get some help," he said. He’s also proposing an affordable-housing study to identify initiatives that can be taken by the public and private sectors to provide affordable housing for those who need it.

Obviously, he said, the toughest thing the legislators will have to tackle this session is reconciling the state budget. But since he’s now in his second term as a delegate and just began his fourth session in the general assembly, he feels more confident.

"Generally, the longer you’re there, you learn more about the business, you’re comfortable with the procedures and you know your way around," said Caputo. "And you get to know all the other delegates and look for opportunities to co-patron bills."
What gives him the most satisfaction, he said, is "to achieve some success in protecting our core services from further budget cuts."