This past week was a snowy week, but I can report to you that the General Assembly has adjourned its 46-day legislative session. The House and Senate completed their work Saturday evening and adjourned sine die.
Briefly looking ahead, the House and Senate will return to Richmond for our constitutionally required Reconvene Session on April 2nd. At that time, we will consider amendments made by the Governor to bills–including the state budget bill. Additionally, the legislature will have the opportunity to override any vetoes made by the Governor. No new legislation may be introduced at the Reconvene Session.
In this week’s update, I will highlight several pieces of legislation that passed and provide an update on the state budget. We also have a special session on the horizon.
Legislation Update
I can share with you that two of my bills passed and are headed to the Governor for his review.
HB 2226 allows foster families to make a request of school divisions to have their home address redacted for privacy reasons. HB 2599 will provide additional flexibility to our local courts by allowing certain Chesterfield cases to be heard in Colonial Heights while the county is working to plan a needed expansion for the county courthouse.
An additional two bills that I sponsored received a “letter,” meaning they will be further studied by a special committee over the summer to ensure the language in the bill is correct and has no unintended consequences.
There remains a great deal of bipartisan work that occurs in Richmond despite the vast differences between Republicans and Democrats.
I am incredibly pleased to report that the House and Senate unanimously passed the Campaign Integrity Act, legislation that will ban the personal use of campaign funds. Under present state law, a candidate for public office may use campaign funds for a host of personal reasons such as mortgage payments, country club memberships, and family vacations. Passage of this bill has been a twelve year process. I was proud to carry this bill for three years in a row, and I am elated that it has finally passed and will now head to the Governor’s desk.
As you have likely picked up by reading my session updates, not everything we accomplish in Richmond is a partisan dog fight. HB 2501 from Delegate Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke) is a great example of a bill that gained bipartisan support. This legislation will establish a statewide “Blue Envelope” program for drivers with special needs that they can better communicate with law enforcement during traffic stops. This program already successfully exists in some Virginia localities, with this new bill expanding the program statewide.
Nearly 2,000 bills were introduced for consideration this session. I was not able to cover all of them in my weekly updates. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about bills that I did not cover in these updates.
Budget Update
On Saturday, the House voted to pass a set of amendments to the existing biennial state budget.
As with any budget, there are good portions and not so good portions. On final passage of the bill, however, legislators are given one vote on the entire package of amendments rather than individual amendments. When deciding how to vote, one must weigh the pros and cons.
Ultimately, I voted against this budget because it didn’t do enough to bring down the cost of living for Virginia families. While there are some tax cuts (direct rebates and an increase to the standard deduction), there was no language to repeal the dreaded car tax. Additionally, this budget sets the stage for an increase in payroll taxes.
The budget includes millions for rental assistance in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, while doing nothing to increase the supply of housing. This will only exacerbate the problem of high rents.
While more funding is included for public schools, this budget cuts funds for school resource officers (SROs). If we are serious about ensuring the well-being of our students, then this course of action isn’t right. Also in the education area, the budget removes language that caps tuition raises at public colleges and universities and cuts funding for lab schools.
Finally, this budget included too much pork. Under this proposal, $3 million will go to help sponsor an international golf tournament and $4 million will go to fund a new welcome center for a partisan organization. There is some concern that some spending across the budget is in violation of a provision in the state constitution that prohibits appropriations being made to “to any charitable institution which is not owned or controlled by the Commonwealth.”
The Governor will now review the budget and, just like every other bill passed by the legislature, have the ability to sign, veto, or further amend it. I expect he will make significant changes. We in the General Assembly will have the opportunity to review those changes at our April reconvene session. I look forward to reviewing his proposals at the appropriate time.
Special Session
The General Assembly is expected to return to Richmond later this spring or summer for a special session to consider the impact of federal government cuts. Because Virginia is home to so many federal employees, the cuts have the ability to impact our state budget. Most people agree that federal spending and the general size of government needs to be reigned in, even if there are some partisan disagreements on how best to accomplish that. I will keep you posted on any developments.
For now, I will share this website from the Governor’s office offering resources to impacted federal workers.
Constituent Services
While the General Assembly’s most visible portion is over, my work as your Delegate continues. Throughout the year, I am available to assist you with any problems you may have with state government. My office regularly assists with cases involving the Department of Motor Vehicles and Department of Taxation. I can also help connect you with the appropriate federal or local government officials for issues falling outside of the purview of the state.
You can contact my legislative office the following ways:
- Email: DelMCherry@house.virginia.gov (preferred)
- Phone: (804) 946-1221
- US Mail: PO Box 1146, Colonial Heights, VA 23834
Please note that I am unable to get involved in ongoing legal cases or offer legal advice. Likewise, I cannot recommend a specific attorney for you.
In the News
Here’s a few news articles from the past week that you may find interesting:
- Progress-Index: Virginia State University is chosen to host Virginia gubernatorial debate later this year
- Cardinal News: Governor, lawmakers battle on hardwood, raise thousands for cancer research
- Richmond Times Dispatch: General Assembly seeks to close a campaign spending loophole
- Richmond Times Dispatch: VA budget deal gives 1.5% bonus to state workers, lets localities keep gaming revenues
- Richmond Times Dispatch: House Speaker Scott expects a special session to deal with federal cuts
- Virginia Mercury: General Assembly passes bill giving schools more say on classroom phone rules
I hope that you found these weekly updates covering the legislative session both informative and helpful. I look forward to continuing to provide updates about your state government on a monthly basis now that the General Assembly has adjourned.
It remains an honor to represent our community in the House of Delegates. If I can assist you in any way, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Mike Cherry