Legislative Update
That’s a wrap. Almost. The General Assembly finished its business and adjourned Saturday evening. We finished on a high note: the House and Senate came together and passed a historic budget that reflects our Democratic values. I’ll get to more on the budget later. The session is only “almost” done because I’ll have to head […]
Legislative Update
We have one week to go, but the pace isn’t slowing down. We have a lot to accomplish this week, including–hopefully–coming to an agreement with the Senate on the budget. I am pleased to report that 22 pieces of legislation of mine have passed the Senate. Two of them relate to shared solar, expanding opportunities for Virginians to access solar […]
Legislative Update
This was budget week. The regular post-crossover rhythm of amending and voting on bills continued, but the big focus was on finalizing our amendments to the Governor’s introduced budget. Suffice it to say that in our view the Governor’s budget needed A LOT of amending—and what we will send back to him will be a […]
Legislative Update
Tuesday was crossover. In less than 36 hours the House passed more than 300 bills. Some bills generated little debate and were unanimous. Others were hotly contested, triggering vigorous debate on the floor. One such debate was over the role government has in supporting a woman’s reproductive health care decisions. In one of the most […]
Legislative Update
The week before crossover is always a bit frantic. And this one surely was. This was the last week bills could be heard in committees to make it to the floor. I spent many hours this week negotiating with and cajoling stakeholders and advocates, as we careen toward crossover. High School Advocates I like all […]
Legislative Update
As we head toward crossover one of the hottest, most controversial issues in the General Assembly is the Casino bill. My phone and email have been lighting up with constituent comments — all of them negative. Yesterday afternoon Senator Jennifer Boysko, Delegates Irene Shin and Karen Keys-Gamarra, Fairfax Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, and I convened a town hall at Mclean […]
Legislative Update
The House and Senate have to finish all their work on bills in their respective chambers by February 6. That day is known as “crossover.” It is coming quickly, so I am hard at work trying to get my bills out of committee and to the floor. As I write this, HB124 and HB123 have passed the House, both […]
Legislative Update
Time flies when you’re passing bills! What a week it was. Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day–known here in Richmond as “Lobby Day”–and it included a slew of meetings with gun safety activists and gun rights groups. It’s a remarkable–and, given the calendar, ironic–day. I begin the day meeting with groups like the NRA and […]
Session Update: February 27, 2023
And that’s a wrap. Sort of. In what has become a familiar story, the General Assembly did not finish its business within the six weeks it was supposed to. While we adjourned “Sine Die” Saturday evening, we have significant issues still to decide, including–most importantly–the budget. So at some point–hopefully soon–I’ll be headed back to […]
Session Update: February 17, 2023
It’s been quite a week. After crossover, the House hears all of the bills that passed the Senate. Some are similar or even identical to bills that have already passed the House. Others, however, are very different from the House version, or raise new issues. It has been an unusual year post-crossover. Given the partisan […]
