Senator Creigh Deeds shared his perspectives on the issues facing Virginia at a Senior Statesmen of Virginia event held September 10th, 2008 at the Northside Library in Abermarle County. Senator Deeds is seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor. Following his opening statement, questions were taken from members of the audience. Senator Deeds began his comments by reminding us that to compete in the 21st century we must be willing to take chances and be entrepreneurial in our approach.
Senator Deeds was elected to the House of Delegates in 1991, winning reelection five consecutive times before leaving the House to fill the seat of the late Senator Emily Couric in a special election in 2001. Four years later he was the Democratic nominee for state Attorney General, losing that race by the closest margin in Virginia history. He attended Virginia’s public schools and after completing undergraduate work at Concord College, he received his law degree from Wake Forest University in 1984. He and his wife, Pam, live in Bath County at the western end of the 25th Senate District. They have four children: Amanda, Rebecca, Gus and Susannah.
Senator Deeds has spent the last two decades serving constituents from all walks of life–from his start as Bath County prosecutor in 1987 to his current position as a State Senator representing the City of Charlottesville and a district that stretches to the West Virginia border. Whether he was working to clean up one of Virginia’s largest Superfund sites, fighting for economic development, or writing some of the toughest legislation to keep our families safe and secure, Deeds has built his career as a consensus builder who delivers results.
He wrote Megan’s Law, which allows public access to the state sex offender registry, and sponsored the Amber Alert Program to keep our children safe. Using his relationships with law enforcement officers and his experience as a prosecutor, Deeds wrote the state law that has turned the tide against homegrown illegal methamphetamine drug labs.
In addition to his work to cleanup the Kim-Stan landfill Superfund site, Senator Deeds also wrote one of the most progressive laws to preserve open space and protect the environment. For his leadership and advocacy, he received the Leadership in Public Policy Award from The Nature Conservancy and the Preservation Alliance of Virginia named him Delegate of the Year.
When Virginia was in a financial crisis, Deeds worked with Governor Mark Warner to put the budget back in order cutting waste and protecting important priorities. The 2004 bipartisan budget agreement invested more than $1 billion in education, eliminated the state food tax, and put more police officers on the streets with the tools and the training they need to keep us safe.
Today he’s working with Governor Tim Kaine to keep Virginia moving forward with an energy policy that will cut greenhouse gases by 30 percent over the next two decades and a prekindergarten program that will put children on the path to success from the start.
With thanks to CPN volunteer Sean McCord for recording today’s event.