Rob Bell (Virginia politician)

Robert B. "Rob" Bell III (born April 23, 1967) is an American politician. He has been a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2002. In 2013, Bell ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for Attorney General of Virginia.

Bell worked as a convention volunteer and part-time intern for Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE) while attending classes at the University of Virginia, and began working for ICE full-time as an editor in 1988.:147 Bell expanded and unified the Hero System from Hero Games, licensed by ICE.:136 The fourth edition of the role-playing game Champions (1989) was largely the work of Bell; aside from writing the book, he had also coordinated a volunteer effort with dozens of gaming groups to give input and feedback on the Hero System.:148 Bell left ICE in 1990, and later entered politics.:149

Election

Bell was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2002, representing the 58th district in the Virginia Piedmont, including Greene County and parts of Albemarle, Fluvanna and Rockingham Counties. Bell's seat was previously held by Thomas Jefferson.

Abortion

In 2012, Bell voted in favor of a bill requiring all women to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound prior to having an abortion, except in cases of rape and incest, wherein police reports must be presented. While massive silent protests outside the Virginia state capitol initially resulted in the bill’s patron holding off on the vote on the bill, it was passed the next day. On March 1, 2012, Bell voted in favor of an amended version of the bill requiring women to undergo an transabdominal ultrasound prior to an abortion if written consent for a transvaginal ultrasound is not obtained, and no ultrasound at all if the physician deems it impossible to determine fetal age through the prescribed means.

Citizenship inquiries

During the 2012 legislative session, Bell was the primary sponsor of a bill requiring police to inquire into the citizenship of anyone arrested, regardless of criminal charges. The bill was widely criticized by civil rights organizations and failed to pass.

Education

In 2012 and 2013, Bell patroned the "Tebow Bill", named for Tim Tebow, which would allow homeschooled students meeting academic standards the opportunity to participate in public school sports teams and other extracurricular activities.

Public safety

As of 2013, Bell serves as the Chairman of the Virginia State Crime Commission.

In 2006, Bell proposed legislation to bar violent sex offenders from school property, following public outrage over a convicted sex offender serving as a Santa Claus at an elementary school. In 2012, he proposed a bill expanding this ban to cover school buses and school-affiliated events.

In 2008, Bell proposed legislation to require school superintendents to screen job applicants for a history of child abuse convictions in Virginia and other states, as well as criminalize the misrepresentation of an applicant's offender status.

On December 6, 2011, Bell announced that he was a candidate for the 2013 Republican nomination for Attorney General of Virginia. State Senator Mark Obenshain won the nomination over Bell by a 55%-45% margin at a statewide convention in Richmond on May 18, 2013.

On December 3, 2015, Bell announced he would run again for the Republican nomination for Attorney General in the 2017 election, and vowed to oust incumbent Mark Herring, whom he cast as a liberal crusader with no regard for the law. However, on November 21, 2016, Bell abruptly announced that he was ending his campaign because his children, one of whom has special needs, were facing "new challenges" and stated, "Despite my best efforts, it has become clear to me that I can’t possibly fulfill my responsibilities as a father while making a statewide run." He announced that he would return donations made to his attorney general campaign, and would run for re-election to his House seat.