Subseries IV.A Robert M. Blue, Counselor to the Governor and Director of Policy,2002-2005 (accession 42410).

Containers:

Box 175-195

Extent:

Extent: 7.35 cubic feet.

Scope and content:

This subseries is housed in 21 boxes and is arranged alphabetically by office: Administration, Agriculture and Forestry, Attorney General, Commerce and Trade, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Commonwealth Preparedness, Education, Finance, Governor's Office, Health and Human Resources, Homeland Security, Independent Agencies, Judicial, Legislature, Natural Resources, Public Safety, Technology, Transportation and Virginia Liaison Office. Robert M. Blue served as Counselor to the Governor from 2002 until he left the administration in June 2005 to work for Dominion. He also served as Director of Policy from September 2002 (after the resignation of Jane Kusiak) until June 2005, overseeing administration policy and review of legislation.

Blue's files contain records related to a wide variety of subjects and issues faced by the Warner Administration including the development of Warner's restoration-of-rights policy, background material on the Virginia Works program, background material on his education initiatives such as Education for a Lifetime, background material on the Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC), correspondence related to the 2002 dispute between former Governor James S. Gilmore and the Library of Virginia over his gubernatorial papers, judicial appointments, budget and tax reform and litigation.

Notable record include: memorandum dated 18 January 2002 from Bernard L. Henderson, Jr., Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth to Robert M. Blue, describing the problem of the timely handing of petitions for restoration-of-rights; memorandum dated 21 July 2002 from Robert M. Blue to Governor Warner summarizing the processes for restoring the right to vote in Virginia and other states and describing the policy change recommendations of Blue, Secretary of the Commonwealth Anita Rimler and Secretary of Public Safety John Marshall; and a copy of the new policy, draft press release and talking points dated 27 August 2002 (B177, F1-3). BRAC documents include: Governor's Briefing, 5 August 2004 and the Federal BRAC 2005 Process, Governor's Cabinet Meeting, 30 August 2004. Documents related to budget and tax reform include: correspondence, reports, presentations and press releases related to Governor Warner's 2004 tax reform package/2004-2006 Biennial Budget (B180 and B181). Notable litigation files include: Delegate Brad Marrs lawsuit concerning the new restoration-of-rights policy, 2004-2005 (B176, F5); suit (Robert G. Marshall, et al v. Mark R. Warner, et al) filed by members of the General Assembly against Governor Warner challenging the constitutionality of his budget proposal submitted to the 2004 special session (B187); Virginia v. Maryland (B193); and the 2002 lawsuit over the sale of out-of-state wine (Bolick v. Roberts).

Access and use

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