Session Week 6

I am proud to announce that two of my most important pieces of legislation have cleared both the House of Delegates and the Senate and are headed to the Governor’s desk for his consideration:

HB 2038 expands health care access by providing adults with incapacitating disabilities the option to live in a group home setting or independent living facility. Currently these adults are required to live with their parents in order to be eligible for state employee insurance coverage plans. Independent living access is vital for the dignity and respect of many Virginians living with disability. Like many of my legislative ideas, this bill came to us from a constituent who found herself and her family trapped in a health insurance void where they could neither afford independent insurance nor continue to allow their adult child to continue their current independent living situation.

HB 2041 increases connectivity in our trail and path networks in the Town of Herndon, and Fairfax and Loudoun Counties. Currently, trail networks contained within commercial developments and Home Owners Associations are often not connected to our existing public trail networks due to concerns about liability in the case of an injury. Increased connectivity of these trails to our public trail and sidewalks will allow pedestrians and cyclists to be able to better move around our area, reducing traffic congestion, increasing health, and decreasing carbon emissions.

But not all is going well in Richmond.

Governor Youngkin’s search for menstrual data:

Legislation from Senator Barbara Favola (SB 852) sought to prohibit the government from demanding to see menstrual cycle information. Many people use menstrual cycle tracking apps or other data collection devices to monitor their health or even plan a pregnancy. In states across the country, reproductive rights activists are concerned that prosecutors may seek to obtain this data in an effort to enforce abortion and contraceptive laws in the wake of the repeal of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court.

I agree with Senator Favola when she testified that “there’s very little information that is as personal and private as your menstrual data.” Republicans in the House of Delegates rejected the bill in a party-line vote.

House Republicans refuse to hear gun violence prevention bills:

It seems like every week brings about another gun violence tragedy – whether it is the mass shooting at Michigan State University, a mall shooting in Memphis, or the spousal murders that barely make the news. I am committed to working with all of my colleagues to enact productive legislation that helps prevent future senseless killings. Unfortunately, Republican Delegates in the House decided that even debating the issue of gun violence prevention was not a priority this session.

In a House subcommittee, Republicans systematically voted down Democratic gun violence prevention bills without even allowing the patrons to present the bill, or allow the public to testify in favor or against the legislation.

Some of the legislation that was rejected included bills to restrict future sales of assault weapons, prevent gun access to minors, ban guns on college campuses, and expand laws restricting gun ownership from those convicted of domestic violence.

Link to bills here.

All of these bills had previously passed the Senate, some in a strong bipartisan vote, and House Republicans refused to even debate the bills on their merits. These essential legislative initiatives will have a full hearing in a Democratic majority in the House.

Hungry kids can’t learn. Here’s who’s trying to help:

There are a few bright spots of legislation making their way through the process. One of the issues that we should all agree on is that students need to have healthy, affordable, nutritious meals in public schools.

I was proud to support two pieces of legislation which have passed the House and Senate, both patroned by Delegate Danica Roem, which seek to expand access to SNAP benefits, make the application process easier, and increase access and affordability of free and reduced lunch school lunches.

On Tuesday, I met with Gabe Segal, a science teacher at Herndon Middle School. Mr. Segal has earned recognition across the country (and in the Washington Post) for his efforts to pay off the “student meal debt” for students at HMS. Mr. Segal described how cumulatively, Herndon MS students carry a shared load of more than $9,000 in meal debt.

Mr. Segal’s fundraising efforts are admirable, and motivation for paying off this “meals debt” is entirely virtuous, but it should push us as a society to recognize that no student should go to class hungry. The fear of racking up debt shouldn’t keep a child from eating.

Public schools provide many services to students, whether to be counseling, health check-ups, eye and ear testing, even sports and library services for free and without the prospect of a student incurring debt. For this debt to be incurred to students and their families because of basic food insecurity is unacceptable in our society.

I thank Mr. Segal for his strong advocacy for free and reduced lunch programs, and for his efforts to end meals debt for students in Herndon Middle School and Fairfax County. Please read the story in the Washington Post to learn more about this compelling story.

“I don’t want the debt to be paid off, and then the next year, the same thing happens again.” –Gabe Segal

Constituent Meetings:

Every year the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate play each other in a charity basketball game to benefit the Massey Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). This year I was pleased to play a short but critical role in assisting the House defend their title in defeating the Senate for the seventh consecutive year. This year the combined House, Senate, and Governor’s office raised a record $80,000 for the Massey Center.

On Monday, I met with students of VCU’s Student Government Association to discuss their legislative priorities. We discussed the necessity to protect reproductive rights throughout the state, keeping trans kids safe, and ways to address food insecurity for students on campus.

On Thursday I was delighted to have the Healthworks team visit our office. We are lucky to have a nonprofit health organization such as Healthworks in our community to provide all levels of care to patients, no matter their income. I am especially looking forward to finding more meaningful ways to partner with Healthworks to make healthcare more affordable and accessible to our neighbors.

You can find their clinics in Reston, Leesburg, or the Town of Herndon and more recently, inside the new Sully Community Center.

Announcements:

ADAMS Center Turkey and Syria Relief Fund

The devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey has affected millions of people, and taken tens of thousands of lives. In response, the ADAMS Center has created a relief fund to help provide assistance for those in need.

Help out and donate here.

Friday Night Live! Herndon Volunteer Opportunities

We are 12 weeks away from the kickoff of the 29th season of Friday Night Live!

It takes around 100 volunteers to run the event each night, so they could really use our help!

Join the volunteer list for further information and to receive an invite to training in mid-April. Volunteers must be 21 years or older.

2023 Spring Break & Summer Camps

The Department of Neighborhood and Community Services offers a variety of programs during FCPS winter, spring, and summer breaks. Find out more information and enroll your student for spring break or summer camps here. 

Water Main Flush!

Each spring, Fairfax Water flushes its water mains by opening fire hydrants and allowing them to flow freely for a short period of time. This process helps to maintain the high water quality in Fairfax County’s distribution system. You may notice Fairfax Water personnel in your neighborhood operating hydrants from late March through June. You can find more details about the process and dates you can expect personnel to be in your area here.