Session Week Five

Crossover week leads to new challenges … in the Senate!

I’m proud to announce that two pieces of legislation, HB 2038 and HB 2041, have crossed over to the Senate and were assigned committees. Next week the Senate is likely to hear both of the bills and I am confident that they will be well considered.

Crossover week also presented some old challenges. This week Virginia House Republicans presented a number of bills this year that addressed the issues of minority communities. The problem is they introduced these bills without consulting the communities themselves.

There were a few bills, including HB 2432 and HB 1387, which Democratic members stood up and spoke against. First, Delegate Danica Roem, representing the neighboring district of Manassas and Manassas Park in Prince William County, described her personal story of how she felt growing up as a trans youth, and how that lived experience shaped her experience as a legislator. Delegate Roem challenged Republican legislators who are her colleagues to ask about her experience, and learn from what she has to say about anti-trans legislation before introducing bills that discriminate against trans-students.

This lack of actual conversation and representation was repeated when Delegate Karen Greenhalgh from Virginia Beach stood up and presented HB 2440, which seeks to establish the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Commission – without any requirement that the members of the commission be from the AAPI community. 

Along with members of the Virginia AAPI Caucus, I thought that establishing this “heritage commission” without consultation of AAPI members, or even requiring AAPI members to be on the commission was unheard of. Despite our vocal advocacy, House Republicans defeated amendments proposed by the AAPI caucus to remedy the Commission’s shortcomings.

House and Senate differences:

Unsurprising given the parties differing in control of each chamber, the House and the Senate have made dramatically different budget proposals. Most notably, the Senate Democrats seek to include over a billion dollars in additional state aid to local education systems, while House Republicans have prioritized corporate tax cuts. 

For additional insights about the proposed budgets, you can find The Commonwealth Institute’s analysis here.

This sets up a false dichotomy for Virginia voters – because investments in education are about growing our economy, growing our values, and growing a new generation of successful Virginians. 

Companies like Volkswagen, Boeing and Amazon are coming to Northern Virginia because of the educational capital that we have amassed, making Fairfax and Loudoun counties some of the best places for public education in the country.

I look forward to working with my colleagues in each chamber, and on both sides of the aisle, to continue to advocate for investments in public education as the budget moves forward.

Announcements:

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 your help!

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

Mason Enterprise Center-Herndon Opening:

The Town of Herndon has partnered with George Mason University and Office Evolution to launch an economic development program serving small, entrepreneurial, and emerging businesses in the town.

To learn more about the business training and counseling services provided, click here.

The center will be hosting an open house for potential clients on February 16th at noon.

To RSVP to the event, click here.

Sorensen 2023 High School Leaders Program:
The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, an organization that seeks to enhance the quality of state government, is seeking civic-minded students from across the Commonwealth to apply to the 2023 High School Leaders Program in Charlottesville. This program concentrates on studies in civics, youth leadership, and Virginia politics and government.

Applications close March 20th, 2023. Apply here or contact our office for more information.