Nearly a month into the legislative session, the House is busy reviewing a wide range of bills that will impact our Commonwealth. We are quickly approaching Crossover, the midpoint of the legislative session where the House and Senate must complete work on their own bills so that they may ‘crossover’ to the other body for consideration. With that deadline approaching, our daily floor sessions continue to grow in length to ensure we get our work done in a timely fashion.


LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

This past week, several key pieces of legislation were brought before the House for a vote. Here’s a few key items that are worth mentioning:

On Wednesday, the House passed House Bill 4 with a vote of 59-40. HB 4 reinstates the mandatory reporting requirement to law enforcement of serious crimes taking place in schools, including sexual assault. I previously voted for this bill when it came before the House Education Committee last week, and I did the same when it came to the full House vote.

House Bill 127 likewise passed the House on Wednesday with a vote of 50-48. HB 127 restores a race-blind admission process to Virginia’s renowned Governor’s schools while strengthening middle school curricula to ensure students are academically prepared.

House Bill 435 tackles one of several necessary reforms for the Virginia Parole Board that Virginians have been asking for. Passing 52-48, this bill will change the frequency in which parole hearings occur from every year to every three years. This bill will support victims of violent crime and their families by ensuring that painful memories are not constantly brought back to the surface.


OFFICE VISITORS

This week I had the privilege to meet with some groups who play integral roles in our community. Here’s a few pictures we snapped during their visits.

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Civil Air Patrol cadets to discuss some of the work they do with search and rescue operations and aerospace education. All members of the General Assembly are awarded the honorary rank of Major, a step up from the Master Sergeant rank I held in the US Air Force.
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Representatives from the Virginia Professional Educators came to my office this week to discuss their non-partisan efforts to support the teaching profession.

IN THE NEWS

Here’s a few news articles you may find of interest:


It is an honor to represent you and your family in the Virginia House of Delegates. Please reach out to me with concerns on any bills making their way through the legislative process or if you need assistance with a state agency. My staff and I stand ready to assist you in any way possible.

Sincerely,

Mike Cherry