Sen. Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.

Amends the powers and responsibilities of the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to regulate toll road operators under the Virginia Highway Corporation Act of 1988. The measure adds requirements that toll rates not materially discourage the public's use of the toll road, that the cost of operating the toll road be reasonably apportioned across all toll road users based on the relative distance each class of user travels on the toll road such that the toll rates are established in a reasonable and nondiscriminatory manner in relation to the benefit obtained, and that toll rates shall provide the operator with no more than a reasonable return. In addition, the measure (i) requires the SCC, by October 1, 2019, to initiate an investigation into the tolls charged by all operators subject to the Act and to issue a ruling by April 1, 2020, on its investigation as to whether the current tolls charged by the operator comply with such new requirements; (ii) prohibits the SCC from using the fact that any incremental return resulting from increased traffic related to a relative change in potential toll users that is greater than zero on a cumulative basis as the sole basis for finding that the operator's return exceeds a reasonable level as specified in such new requirements, during any future complaint proceeding; (iii) requires the SCC, in its initial investigation, to develop a baseline from which it can measure the relative change in potential toll users and directs how the incremental return shall be computed; (iv) prohibits an operator from seeking a toll increase that attempts to raise its return above the reasonable level; (v) requires the full disclosure, in public financial reports to the SCC, of the details of any related party transactions; and (vi) establishes a presumption that any related party transactions shall be presumed to be imprudent and excluded from costs used for any purpose, including but not limited to costs of lobbyists, excessive compensation, and entertainment expenses, unless the operator provides information showing that at least three separate competitive bids demonstrate that the operator could not have achieved better contract terms from a third party.

Provides for the establishment of the Virginia Citizens Redistricting Commission (the Commission), a 10-member commission responsible for establishing legislative and congressional districts following a decennial census. A selection committee consisting of five retired judges of the circuit courts in Virginia, selected by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the minority leader in the House of Delegates, and the majority and minority leaders in the Senate from a list compiled by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, is tasked with adopting a process by which registered Virginia voters may apply to serve on the Commission and selecting from the applicants a list of 22 candidates. The amendment requires five of the candidates to be voters who affiliate with the political party receiving the highest number of votes for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, five candidates to be voters who affiliate with the political party receiving the next highest number of votes for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, and 12 candidates to be voters who do not affiliate with any political party. The Speaker of the House of Delegates, the minority leader in the House of Delegates, and the majority and minority leaders in the Senate then strike names from the list until there is the final list of 10 Commission members, three of whom affiliate with the political party receiving the highest number of votes for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, three of whom affiliate with the political party receiving the next highest number of votes for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, and four of whom do not affiliate with any political party. Final approval or adoption of a redistricting plan requires an affirmative vote of seven of the 10 Commission members, including at least one vote from each of the political parties represented. The amendment also contains criteria for the Commission to adhere to when drawing the legislative and congressional districts and imposes certain requirements on the Commission's activities to ensure accessibility by the public.

Equalizes the Virginia standard deduction with the federal standard deduction. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2018, but before January 1, 2019, the amount of the standard deduction shall be $12,000 per taxpayer or $24,000 for married persons filing jointly. In future tax years, the deduction will be adjusted by a percentage equal to the difference in the Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers between the current year and 2018. The bill contains an emergency clause. The bill was incorporated into