Transcript of audio, notes on the audio, an image, and additional information follow below.
All Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 12-30-15.
TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO
From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is
Virginia Water Radio for the week of January 4, 2016.
SOUNDS – 4 sec
Every year, at noon on the second Wednesday of January, the convening
gavels sound at the Virginia General Assembly, calling to order 100 members of
the House of Delegates and 40 members of the State Senate. Those 140 legislators typically consider 2000
to 3000 bills and resolutions, including the Commonwealth’s budget. Usually between 100 and 200 General Assembly
bills each year have something to do with water or with land uses that can
affect water. What topics, do you think, are or ought to be on the
General Assembly’s water agenda? Have a
listen for about 10 seconds to one possible list, and see if your choices are
there.
VOICES - 11 sec – “Chesapeake Bay! Southern Rivers! Groundwater!
Stormwater! Water Quality! Water Supply!
Gas Pipelines! Offshore Energy! Climate Change! Land Use!
Wetlands!”
Those and other important water issues often get some
General Assembly attention. But, of
course, the Assembly has a lot more on its mind than just water. Taxes, health care, education,
transportation, and other big issues challenge legislators’ time, energy, and
negotiating skills.
Whatever the topic of legislation, however, state
legislators are always focused on what groups of constituents might be
affected. Have another listen for about
10 seconds to a list of some of the constituents the General Assembly must
consider.
VOICES - 8 sec – “Landowners!
Businesses! School kids! College students! Households!
8.3 million Virginia residents!”
Lots of topics, lots of constituents – plus, the sessions
move fast and the decisions can have widespread and important
consequences. Those are the legislators’
challenges. But Virginian citizens have a big challenge, too: following
the work of their elected representatives and voicing their opinions. Citizens can follow legislation and find
contact information for General Assembly members online at virginiageneralassembly.gov. By participating, citizens add their voice to the long history of debate
in Virginia’s legislature, which began in 1619 as the House of Burgesses.
Thanks to several Virginia Tech colleagues for lending their
voices to this episode. And we close
with a few seconds of a tune that may have entertained Virginia legislators as
far back as the 1600s: “Greensleeves,” performed here by Timothy Seaman of
Williamsburg.
MUSIC – ~ 13 sec.
For more Virginia water sounds, music, and information, visit
us online at virginiawaterradio.org,
or call us at (540) 231-5463. Virginia
Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part
of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment. Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo
version of Cripple Creek to open and close the show. In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you
health, wisdom, and good water.
AUDIO NOTES AND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The voices in
this episode were recorded in October 2015 at Virginia Tech. Thanks to those colleagues who participated.
The performance heard
in this episode of the traditional tune “Greensleeves,” from the 1998 album
“Celebration of Centuries,” is copyright by Timothy Seaman and Pine Wind
Music. More information about Mr.
Seaman’s music is available online http://timothyseaman.com/.
IMAGE
 |
Illustration by
George Wills, Blacksburg, Va., http://www.etsy.com/people/BlacksburgArt.
|
SOURCES
Virginia General Assembly Web site, at http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/.
Wisconsin Historical Society’s American Journeys Web site,
“Proceedings of the Virginia Assembly, 1619,” online at http://www.americanjourneys.org/aj-080/index.asp.
RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES
All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index
link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).
Previous episodes on the Virginia General Assembly are the
following:
Episode143, 1/7/13; – Music for the Past and Present of the Virginia General Assembly;
Episode 147, 2/4/13 – Committees Guide the Flow of Bills in the Virginia General Assembly;
Episode196, 1/13/14 – The Virginia Legislature on its 396th Opening Day, January 8, 2014;
Episode 247, 1/5/15 – January Means State Budget Time in the Virginia General Assembly;
Episode 252, 2/9/15 – Voting on Water in the 2015 Virginia General Assembly.
Episode143, 1/7/13; – Music for the Past and Present of the Virginia General Assembly;
Episode 147, 2/4/13 – Committees Guide the Flow of Bills in the Virginia General Assembly;
Episode196, 1/13/14 – The Virginia Legislature on its 396th Opening Day, January 8, 2014;
Episode 247, 1/5/15 – January Means State Budget Time in the Virginia General Assembly;
Episode 252, 2/9/15 – Voting on Water in the 2015 Virginia General Assembly.
SOLS INFORMATION FOR
VIRGINIA TEACHERS
This episode may help with the following Virginia 2010 Science
Standards of Learning (SOLs):
Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme
6.7 - natural processes and human interactions that affect
watershed systems; Va. watersheds, water bodies, and wetlands; and water
monitoring.
Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme
6.9 – public policy decisions regarding the environment.
Life Science Course
LS.11 - relationships between ecosystem dynamics and human activity.
Earth
Science Course
ES.6 – renewable vs. non-renewable resources (including energy
resources).
ES.10 – oceans, including economic and policy decisions affecting
oceans, the coastal zone, and the Chesapeake Bay.
ES.11 – the atmosphere, including human influences on climate.
Biology
Course
BIO.8 – dynamic equilibria and interactions within populations,
communities, and ecosystems; including effects of natural events and human
activities.
The episode may also help with the following Virginia 2008 Social
Studies SOLs:
Virginia Studies Course
VS.3 – first permanent English settlement in America.
Civics and Economics Course
CE.1 – social studies skills that responsible citizenship
requires.
CE.7 – government at the state level.
CE.9 – public policy at local, state, and national levels.
World Geography Course
WG.10 - cooperation among political jurisdictions to solve
problems and settle disputes.
Government Course
GOVT.1 – social studies skills that responsible citizenship
requires.
GOVT.8 – state and local government organization and powers.
GOVT.9 – public policy at local, state, and national levels.
GOVT.16 – role of government in Va. and U.S. economies,
including examining environmental issues and property rights.
