Newsletter

January 22, 2006

Dear Friends:

Inauguration and a New Beginning:

The inauguration last Saturday of Tim Kaine as the Commonwealth?s 70th Governor was an historic occasion in several respects.  One, of course, was the venue: the last Governors to be sworn in in Williamsburg were named Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson.  (My aide, Jean Barton, points out that while this is the first gubernatorial inauguration in Williamsburg in over two centuries, it isn?t the first inauguration:  Henry Howell was sworn in at the Colonial Capitol as Lieutenant Governor in 1971, having won a special election to fill out the term of the late J. Sargeant Reynolds.  Jean was there.)

The other historical event was a rainstorm of (at least to the spectators) biblical proportions.  About 30 minutes before the ceremony was to begin outside the recreated House of Burgesses, the skies opened up.  Brave souls in the stands donned plastic ponchos and awaited the arrival of similarly clad dignitaries, looking very silly.  But back to the beginning of Inaugural Weekend in Williamsburg . . .

Friday evening kicked off the weekend with an Inaugural Concert in William and Mary Hall which featured gospel choirs as well as musicians, including our own Ingrid Morroy & The Constituents,.  The Gov-Elect played harmonica as the opening act for the main attraction, The Beach Boys.  (He played very . . . enthusiastically, but probably shouldn?t give up his day job.)  The high point was when future First Lady Anne Holton joined them on stage to dance her way through ?Help Me, Rhonda.?

Saturday morning, Assembly Members arrived at the House of Burgesses for the inaugural ceremonies. Actors portraying Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson welcomed us to their House before going out to address the now-sodden spectators, giving voice to the former Governors who at their original ceremonies simply took the oath and went on about their business with no formal proceedings.

Saturday?s crowd didn?t let the awful weather interfere with the pomp and ceremony of the swearing-in of our three statewide elected officials.  As torrents of rain and wind swept the area, five past and present governors followed the legislators to their seats, where the Attorney General, the Lieutenant Governor, and Governor Kaine were sworn in by Chief Justice Leroy R. Hassell Sr. 

Governor Kaine gave an upbeat inaugural speech that focused on several themes: the preservation of natural resources, protection of public safety, and growth of job opportunities.  To stress his dedication to inclusiveness he repeated these central ideas in fluent Spanish.

The day continued with a parade down Duke of Gloucester Street led by the Governor and First Lady in an open colonial carriage, followed by bands from virtually every region and ethnic group in the Commonwealth. That evening the First Couple joined their fans at two Inaugural Balls, one in Williamsburg and one in Richmond.

Back at the Capitol on Sunday afternoon, I walked over to the Senate chamber to watch Governor Kaine?s new cabinet sworn in.  The group includes two Arlington constituents (Secretary of Technology Aneesh Chopra and Counselor Larry Roberts) as well as the former Delegate who came into the House with me in 1998 and was my seatmate for our first four years (Secretary of Administration Viola Baskerville).

On Monday the transition was completed as Governor Kaine stood at the same podium that Governor Warner had occupied the previous Wednesday, and in another joint session of the Legislature set out his administration?s agenda for this Session.  While the Governor discussed education, job creation, and health care as priorities, the bulk of his address focused on the 800 pound gorilla that will dominate the remaining weeks here in Richmond:  transportation.

Also on Monday, I learned of my appointment to two Appropriations subcommittees:  Health and Human Resources, and Capital Outlay.  The latter subcommittee handles funding for state-owned buildings and other large-scale, long term investments.

Virginia Foundation for the Humanities:

Two years ago, Governor Warner appointed me to the Board of Directors of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. VFH was founded in 1974 to promote the full integration of the humanities into the civic and cultural life of Virginia.  As a reminder, the humanities ?include the study of history, literature, ethics and philosophy, religious and folk traditions that define the human experience,? to quote from VFH educational materials.

The VFH funds and sponsors a broad range of programs throughout the state.  The foundation is funded by a combination of state appropriations and corporate donations. Further information on VFH is available at their website:  www.virginiafoundation.org.

This year, the VFH funded several diverse programs in Arlington County, including:

Important Date in History:

Two hundred and twenty years ago, on January 16, 1786, the Virginia General Assembly became the first elected legislative body to provide protection for religious freedom under law when they approved the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.

This Statute was written by Thomas Jefferson based on principles voiced by George Mason, who was also the person who guided it through the General Assembly.  It states:  ?We the General Assembly of Virginia do enact that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, ministry whatsoever?; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.?

This Statute was the precursor of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states: ?Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof?

Many believe that the Statute was Virginia?s greatest gift to our nation.  Its principles are as important in 2006 as they were two centuries ago.

Until next week,

Bob Brink

Bob Brink