The George Allen Record – Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act – April 26, 2001

Apr 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In an effort to keep the heavy hand of government from diminishing the bright promise of opportunity of the Internet, on April 26, 2001, George Allen introduced the Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act, extending the ban on taxation of Internet access he first promoted as Governor.

“In my view, the Internet has the most profound liberating potential since Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press, which allowed the mass distribution of ideas, thoughts and information,” said Allen.  “This legislation is a step forward to keeping the Internet free of unfair, discriminatory taxation policies that would impede its future growth as a source of commerce, education and information.”

As Senator, George Allen succeeded twice in extending the moratorium on Internet access taxes with Public Law 107-75 and 108-435. Allen’s bipartisan legislation garnered support from the Information Technology Association of America, Citizens for a Sound Economy, and Americans for Tax Reform for protecting the freedoms and economic opportunity that the Internet creates for the growing global economy. Allen’s determined efforts have helped keep the Internet a thriving hub for commerce with the moratorium he fought so hard to impose now in place through 2014.

 

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The George Allen Record – Government Reform – April 22, 1994

Apr 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

On April 22, 1994, George Allen received preliminary reform recommendations from the Governor’s Commission on Government Reform otherwise known as the Blue Ribbon Strike Force.  In his first act as Governor, Allen created the strike force to root out wasteful spending and ensure that the state government would run more efficiently and effectively.  Allen responded immediately to the recommendations with actions to restrain regulations coming out of state agencies and cease unfunded mandates, as well as ordering a comprehensive review of regulations and mandates already on the books.  Allen also announced he would be enlisting the private sector to assist in identifying state government activities that could and should be privatized.

“By comprehensively reviewing existing regulations and establishing an improved process and standards for review of proposed regulations, we will attack head-on the problem of regulatory overload that is plaguing individuals and businesses throughout Virginia,” Allen said.   “After countless hours of committee work listening to Virginians from all walks of life, it is very clear that the need for an effort such as the Blue Ribbon Strike Force is critical… [to] bring a balance back to government that favors utilizing the forces of the free enterprise system over continued reliance on government intervention to solve problems.”

As a result of the Blue Ribbon Strike Force and additional government reform initiatives, George Allen gave Virginians a smarter and leaner government with 10,000 fewer employees, saving hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars while improving customer service satisfaction.  The regulatory review helped the Commonwealth shed decades of outdated, burdensome regulations that had been stifling innovation and smothering businesses.  Today, Governor Bob McDonnell has adopted George Allen’s model with his own Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring, whose recommendations have already produced legislation streamlining State Boards and Commissions, removing unfunded mandates on localities, and establishing an Inspector General to investigate waste in state government.

 

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The George Allen Record – Energy Independence – April 21, 2006

Apr 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Five years ago today, with gasoline prices at $3-a-gallon, George Allen issued a call for a full-scale effort to achieve American energy independence, an effort which begins with using America’s own resources. A member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Allen championed a comprehensive energy strategy designed to unleash American energy resources and American creativity, including bills that would allow individual States to determine for themselves if they want to explore for natural gas and oil in the deepest waters off the outer continental shelf and to allow the use of oil reserves on the barren north slope of Alaska.

“If Americans don’t want to see skyrocketing gas prices we must make the decision to explore for and use domestic oil,” Allen said.  “Some of us in the Senate have been working in the face of great criticism for our energy independence, to lower gasoline prices and provide adequate supplies through energy production, innovation, and diversity…  For our own energy security and to bring those prices down we must make the sustained commitment to create, produce and grow more of our own energy here in America for America’s jobs, America’s economy and American security.”

Today, $4-a-gallon gas is imposing a greater burden than ever on the families and businesses of Virginia, while America is no closer than it was five years ago to controlling our own energy destiny.  It is time for Washington to stop throwing up roadblocks to achievable energy solutions that encourage conservation and innovation and utilize all of our plentiful resources including clean coal technology, natural gas and oil.

 

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The George Allen Record – Parental Notification – April 20, 1994

Apr 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Declaring that “to sign this bill would perpetrate a fraud on the parents of Virginia,” on April 20, 1994, George Allen vetoed Senate Bill 610, with a promise to continue working to give Virginians a true parental notification bill that respects the rights and responsibilities of parents in their child’s life.  The bill required notification only of “an adult relative” instead of parent or legal guardian for minors under age 16 seeking abortions.

“The people of Virginia want parental notification, not side-steps such as brother and sister notification, as this legislation would establish and allow,” stated Allen. “I promised the people honest change, and I would be going against my word if I signed a bill which circumvents the right of a parent to know if their minor daughter is going through the trauma of an abortion. Virginians want and deserve truth and honesty in legislating… I will veto SB 610, as acted upon by the Senate, and continue to work, in years to come, for a truthful parental notification law.”

Governor Allen’s willingness to stand on principle and insist on real parental notification bill led to its signing on March 22, 1997. After a nearly 18-year fight, a true and honest parental notification bill requiring a physician to notify at least one parent or legal guardian at least 24 hours before performing an abortion on an unwed girl under 18 years old became law in Virginia. Over 2,500 people joined Allen outside the State Capitol to watch Virginia join the 36 other states to have implemented similar parental notification and/or parental consent laws.

 

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The George Allen Record – Sister State Agreement with the Kyonggi Province – April 11, 1997

Apr 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Joined by Vice-Governor for Political Affairs of Kyonggi-do, George Allen signed a Sister State agreement with the Kyonggi Province, the most populous province in South Korea, on April 11, 1997.

“By signing a joint Sister State agreement, our regions are building upon these common bonds, and improving the economic and cultural ties that promote a lasting friendship,” said Allen. “I hope our agreement will create a new enthusiasm for enhanced trade and investment between our countries. We look forward to joining the people of South Korea in maximizing the potential of our citizens to live productive, self-sufficient and fulfilling lives.”

As part of his 1996 Trade Mission to East Asia, Allen visited the Kyonggi Province to promote the economic opportunities Virginia has to offer with South Korea.   The trade mission resulted in agreements projected to create 513 new jobs and $47 million in investments. George Allen has continued to work to foster strong cultural and economic ties with Kyonggi (or Gyeonggi), including promoting South Korea’s participation in the Visa Waiver program to facilitate trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges with this close American ally.

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The George Allen Record – Juvenile Justice Reform – April 9, 1996

Apr 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

On April 9, 1996, George Allen signed landmark legislation to reform Virginia’s juvenile justice system. The Juvenile Justice Reform Package, based on the recommendations of the Governor’s 1995 Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform, was designed to protect law-abiding Virginians from crime and violence by trying and sentencing the most vicious and dangerous juvenile criminals as adults, while giving the less serious offenders a better opportunity for rehabilitation and offering innovative new sentencing options, including military-style boot camp options, for juvenile courts.

With youth violence rising in Virginia, Allen called on the General Assembly to act on the commission’s recommendations in his 1996 State of the Commonwealth Address, saying “These proposals are balanced and address both the need to protect the public from violent juveniles, and the need to make our juvenile facilities places of reform and self-improvement rather than fear and despair.”  He added, “We cannot hope to have a commonwealth of opportunity for our citizens if we lose a whole generation of Virginians to drugs, crime, and violence in our schools.”

With punishment fitting the severity of the crime, juvenile crime dropped 13 percent over the next three years, exceeding the national average.  These critical juvenile justice reforms follow George Allen’s record of tough anti-crime initiatives as Governor, including tougher sentences for drug dealers and establishing truth-in-sentencing and abolishing parole for adult violent criminals.  The crime rate in Virginia stood at its lowest level in more than a decade by the end of his service as Governor.


 

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The George Allen Record – Abolishing Parole – April 6, 1994

Apr 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Joined by the Attorney General and law enforcement officers from around the Commonwealth, on April 6, 1994, George Allen signed a sweeping package of tough anti-crime bills and announced Monday, September 19, 1994, as the date a Special Session of the General Assembly would convene to abolish parole and restructure sentences for criminals in Virginia.

“Today, we take an important first step toward making Virginians safe again – safe in their neighborhoods, safe in their businesses, safe when they are walking down the street,” stated Allen. “This very positive action sets the stage for the more important work that must be accomplished during the special session in September…  With the same kind of bipartisan support we enjoyed this past session, we will be back here again in six months from now to sign landmark legislation that will show the Nation the way to get tough and also get smart in dealing with violent crime.”

In September, the Special Session followed through by abolishing parole for all offenses committed on or after January 1, 1995. Sentences for convicted violent criminals also were increased.  With violent criminals in prison longer thanks to George Allen’s leadership, the crime rate in Virginia stood at its lowest level in more than a decade by the end of his service as Governor; fifteen years after parole was abolished, Virginia’s violent crime rate is down by more than 36 percent.

 

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The George Allen Record – Business Tax – April 3, 1996

Apr 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

With bipartisan support and cooperation, on April 3, 1996, George Allen signed legislation to reform Virginia’s Business, Professional & Occupational License (BPOL) or “gross-receipts” tax.

The legislation furthered Allen’s successful efforts to foster a pro-growth environment and encourage entrepreneurial businesses in Virginia by providing uniform administration of the tax in Virginia localities that have BPOL and eliminating “double taxation” of gross receipts that are taxable in other States.  The reforms created a sliding-scale gross receipts threshold that freed tens of thousands of Virginia small businesses from the BPOL tax while exempting venture capital firms entirely and giving localities the option to exempt software development from the BPOL tax.

“We’ve been fighting for so long to change this job-killing tax,” said Allen.  “This legislation will extensively reform – and actually reduce the tax, bringing immediate relief to many weary business across Virginia.  Reforming and reducing this gross receipts tax will make Virginia a more fertile ground for entrepreneurs with good ideas and the courage to take risks.”

Through a combination of personal recruitment, lower taxes on job creators, and prompter permitting, business investment and entrepreneurship thrived during George Allen’s service as Governor.  The Commonwealth added more than 310,000 private-sector jobs, and the unemployment went from 5% when he took office to 2.9 percent at the end of his term, a 42% reduction.

 


 

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The George Allen Record – Nanotechnology – March 24, 2004

Mar 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

On March 24, 2004, George Allen was named to the list of ‘Nanotech’s Power Elite: 2004’ by a panel of editors at the Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report, a leading business publication on nanotechnology. In the survey, Allen ranked second among a group of ten “movers and shakers in the emerging field of nanotechnology.”

“Senator Allen has been instrumental in leading the advancement of nanotechnology.  His past and continued efforts provide much needed resources, research and development for this important field.  Thanks to his support, Virginia is quickly becoming one of the leading hotspots for nanotechnology development in the U.S.,” said Robert Paull, co-founder and managing partner of Lux Capital.

Recognizing that innovation and technology are key to economic competitiveness, Allen sponsored and led a bipartisan effort to pass the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research & Development Act in 2003.  Today, the United States is a world leader in nanotechnology and Virginia ranks among the top four states nationally for economic development from nanotechnology.

 

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The George Allen Record – Parental Notification Bill – March 22, 1997

Mar 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

After an 18-year struggle, on March 22, 1997, George Allen signed into law a true and honest parental notification bill requiring parents or legal guardians to be notified if their minor daughter is going through the trauma of an abortion.

Over 2,500 people joined Allen outside the State Capitol to watch Virginia join the 36 other states to have implemented similar parental notification and/or parental consent laws.

“The family is the bedrock of society and the backbone of our economy. For generations, loving, caring families imparted to us and our forbearers the very values that made America good: individual initiative, personal responsibility, honesty, hard work, compassion for those less fortunate, and of course, faith in God,” stated Allen. “Parents have the right and responsibility to be involved with the important decisions in their young children’s lives. Today we are signing legislation affirming the importance and necessity of a parent’s guidance and counsel if their young daughter is facing the trauma of an abortion.”

Allen’s parental notification bill (SB 1148) requires a physician to notify at least one parent or legal guardian at least 24 hours before performing an abortion on an unwed girl under 18 years old.

Committed to achieving a strong notification law, Allen vetoed a weakened version of the bill in 1994 that would have lowered the age requirement to 16 as well as allowed relatives other than parents to be notified.

 

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