larrypen 0 #1 March 9, 2004 Thank you to all the Virginia DZO's and jumpers that tried so hard...... USPA thank you so much for the time and hard work... One day On Monday, March 8, the Virginia Senate’s Courts of Justice Committee finally considered and voted on House Bill 584. Despite forceful advocacy by Delegate Bill Janis (the bill’s sponsor) and testimony by USPA staff, the committee voted to “PBI” (Pass By Indefinitely) the bill. This effectively kills the bill for this year. The leading senate voice against the bill was very concerned that approval of such a bill for skydiving would begin the “slippery slope” for other outdoor activities to request the same treatment from the general assembly. Delegate Janis argued that our bill was modeled on an equine bill that was passed by the general assembly 15 years ago, with no other similar requests in the interim. Another senator questioned why skydiving businesses could not get insurance coverage and questioned why the state should assist a “dangerous activity.” USPA’s Director of Government Relations gamely responded with statistics and a description of skydiving safety standards and practices. Finally, a motion to PBI was made, seconded and voted. USPA deeply appreciates its Virginia members who contacted their Virginia delegates and state senators over the past several weeks. Without the support of concerned skydivers, the bill would not have proceeded as far as it did. Larry Pennington Teach by the way you live www.skydivesuffolk.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Harksaw 0 #2 March 9, 2004 Care to tell us what the bill was?__________________________________________________ I started skydiving for the money and the chicks. Oh, wait. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luna 0 #3 March 9, 2004 See thread here This is very disheartening. Incidentally, my Senator is on the committe in question, and my husband & I both wrote very eloquent (well, at least we used spell-check ) e-mails expressing our interest in the bill. We received back a letter which in part said the following: QuoteI will keep your suggestion in mind as I consider what is best for all of my constituents as well as the Commonwealth of Virginia. So, when I heard this news, I fired off an e-mail back at him: QuoteI understand that HB 584 failed your committee with a unanimous vote. I will keep your vote in mind as I consider what is best for our district as well as the Commonwealth of Virginia the next time I have the opportunity to visit the polls. Thanks for your time. Maybe I shouldn't be inflammatory, but frankly it pissed me off. I'm walking a marathon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Click Here for more information! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
usedtajump 1 #5 March 9, 2004 Hmmm. How many of the legislators who voted to shit can this bill are attorneys?The older I get the less I care who I piss off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EDYDO 0 #6 March 9, 2004 QuoteSee thread here This is very disheartening. Incidentally, my Senator is on the committe in question, and my husband & I both wrote very eloquent (well, at least we used spell-check ) e-mails expressing our interest in the bill. We received back a letter which in part said the following: QuoteI will keep your suggestion in mind as I consider what is best for all of my constituents as well as the Commonwealth of Virginia. So, when I heard this news, I fired off an e-mail back at him: QuoteI understand that HB 584 failed your committee with a unanimous vote. I will keep your vote in mind as I consider what is best for our district as well as the Commonwealth of Virginia the next time I have the opportunity to visit the polls. Thanks for your time. Maybe I shouldn't be inflammatory, but frankly it pissed me off. Since there are very few people in his district who care about the bill, the Senator does not care about your concerns. Politics as usual. Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #7 March 9, 2004 QuoteHmmm. How many of the legislators who voted to shit can this bill are attorneys? Exactly! Why would lawyers make a law that says they get less work? When I reported for Jury Duty yesterday, 8 of the 16 potential jurors questioned were in, or had been in, a personal injury lawsuit. Gotta keep those lawyers employed!Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bvsdjumper 0 #8 March 9, 2004 Am I the only who read the subject and thought "Who's Skydiving Bill? And why did Virginia kill him? Must have done something terrible." But seriously, that sucks. It sounds like whuffo senators who had their minds already made up before anyone testified. --ArtSky-div'ing (ski'div'ing) n. A modern sport that involves parties, bragging, sexual excesses, the imbibing of large quantities of beer, and, on rare occasions, parachuting from aircraft. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmsmith 1 #9 March 9, 2004 QuoteAnother senator questioned why skydiving businesses could not get insurance coverage and questioned why the state should assist a “dangerous activity.” This is how bureaucrats see things: "If we're not phuck'in ya with our insurance schemes then we are assist'in ya in this here activity!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 235 #10 March 9, 2004 QuoteSince there are very few people in his district who care about the bill, the Senator does not care about your concerns. Politics as usual. No...we skydivers in VA are a political force to be reckoned with...really..."I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gravitymaster 0 #11 March 9, 2004 For those VA jumpers who would like to know who voted to kill this bill: YEAS--Stolle, Saslaw, Marsh, Quayle, Norment, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Reynolds, Mims, Puller, Rerras, Blevins, Cuccinelli, Obenshain--15. NAYS--0. ABSTENTIONS--0. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luv2Fall 0 #12 March 9, 2004 Thanks.................I think. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildcard451 0 #13 March 9, 2004 Sweet....maybe I should walk across the street from school and go pay a few of these jokers a visit... And I was all happy when I originally found out my representative was the bill's sponsor. Well, at least he'll be getting my vote when time comes.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Raefordite 0 #14 March 9, 2004 You spent a lot of time and $$$ toward this bill. It would have greatly helped many DZ's and jumpers in the sport. So sorry to hear the results. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
larrypen 0 #15 March 9, 2004 Thanks Kate Sometimes you the bug and sometimes you the windshield. I was hoping to get this thru so all the DZ's in the US could use the bill as a guide line for their state USPA and Ed Scott did a outstanding job It would not gotten as far as it did without him. He DA man ............ Next time Larry Pennington Skydive Suffolk Inc Larry Pennington Teach by the way you live www.skydivesuffolk.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HRHSkyPrincess 0 #16 March 9, 2004 Perfect response to your elected official's prepared, cut and pasted, reply! Good for you!!***************** Attitude is everything! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
