[[link removed]]
Dear Friend,
In this week’s newsletter, I’ll share information on the Reconvened Session and the General Assembly, recent conversations regarding court rulings on Mifepristone, and opportunities for community engagement. I also provide reflections on recent community events. Thank you for taking the time to read the newsletter and for staying informed.
Reconvened Session
On Wednesday, members of the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates gathered at the Capitol for the General Assembly’s Reconvened Session. This session focuses on the Governor’s amendments [[link removed]] and vetoes [[link removed]] to the legislation that passed during the 2023 regular session.
The Governor’s vetoes were sustained. Overriding a veto requires at least 26 votes within the Senate Chamber, and we did not have enough votes to defeat the Governor’s vetoes. The bills vetoed by the Governor as as follows:
HB 1536 passed unanimously out of both the Senate and House of Delegates, but the Governor vetoed the legislation. The legislation would have ensured more timely responses with employee grievances within the Virginia Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice.
SB 1051 sought to address the towing of service vehicles when they are on private property in order to provide services for utilities. The bill passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support. The veto of this legislation means that broadband service providers and other utility providers may have their service vehicles towed away as they are working to restore or address service needs.
SB 1085 was legislation that established a workgroup to examine vehicle noise in the Commonwealth and to report those findings to the Senate and House Transportation Committees. Noise pollution is something that constituents have voiced concerns about, not only to my office, but other members of the Assembly have echoed similar sentiments. Unfortunately this legislation, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, was vetoed by the Governor.
Reconvened Session is, by Constitution, focused only on legislative acts in response to a Governor’s vetoes and amendments. Conferees on the budget have still not reached agreement, but members of the Budget Conference Committee have indicated that a decision may be reached by the end of June [[link removed]] . I will continue to provide updates in my newsletter and on Facebook [[link removed]] , Twitter [[link removed]] , and Instagram [[link removed]] .
Retirements within the General Assembly
All 140 General Assembly seats are up for election, and every candidate is running in newly-drawn district lines as a result of the 2021 redistricting. The General Assembly will undergo significant leadership and committee membership changes as many of my colleagues bid farewell after years and decades of service [[link removed]] [[link removed]] .
In significant ways, the “torch” is being passed as we see this remarkable wave of retirements in both the Senate and the House. However, I am confident that the work of the General Assembly and its efforts to address the continuing and emerging challenges of this new decade will move forward–as it must–to ensure that the Commonwealth is serving the needs of all Virginians.
Mifepristone & Access to Reproductive Healthcare
Last week, a federal judge in Texas blocked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone, a drug commonly and safely used for well over two decades for medication abortions. This unprecedented ruling will put the health and safety of women in jeopardy— 54% of abortions in the United States are medication abortions. [[link removed]] Further, it will impact the availability of mifepristone nationwide [[link removed]] , not just in states with limited access to abortion care. In response, a federal judge in Washington State handed down a lawsuit against the FDA’s restrictions on mifepristone, arguing that it should be more easily accessible. These dueling rulings have the potential to reach the Supreme Court of the United States [[link removed]] .
Although the decision by the Texas judge is meant to specifically threaten access to reproductive healthcare, it attempts to set a dangerous precedent, undermining healthcare determinations made by scientists and medical experts and placing that responsibility in the hands of political appointees or elected judges.
As we have seen with recent elections—from the election of Janet Protasiewicz to the Wisconsin Supreme Court [[link removed]] [[link removed]] to voters in Kansas rejecting an amendment to their state constitution outlawing abortion [[link removed]] [[link removed]] to our special elections here in the Commonwealth of Virginia electing pro-choice candidates [[link removed]] [[link removed]] —Americans support reproductive rights and believe that people should be in charge of their own reproductive health care decisions.
I have joined state legislators from across the country in opposing the politicization of critical health care concerns and in rejecting any further efforts by the courts to limit access to mifepristone.
Join Us for Our Upcoming Town Hall
On Tuesday, April 25, I will be hosting a town hall at Brightpoint Community College’s Chester Campus in the Nicholas Center Ballroom. Topics include the recent General Assembly session, the state budget, redistricting, and other community concerns. The town hall is open to the public, but registration is required. Register to attend here [[link removed]] . We hope you will join us.
bit.ly/HashmiTownHall [bit.ly/HashmiTownHall] [link removed] [[link removed]]
VDOT Town Hall
The Virginia Department of Transportation conducts numerous projects and studies to determine the need, costs and impacts of proposed highway projects across the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Transportation Board [[link removed]] (CTB) allocates public funds to transportation projects using the Six-Year Improvement program (SYIP). On Monday, April 24, at 4:00pm the CTB is conducting public hearings for SYIP fiscal year 2024-2029 in the Richmond District. Formal public comment on projects proposed to be included in the SYIP will be accepted at the meeting. A description of project proposals in various localities [[link removed]] [[link removed]] are able to better prepare comments. Allocations for funding can include highway, road, bridge, rail, bicycle, pedestrian and public transportation projects.
The public comment period will remain open until May 24, 2023 for SYIP fiscal year 2024-2029. A public comment can also be submitted via email [[email protected]] or to the Infrastructure Investment Director by mail (1401 E. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219). Transit and public transportation public comments may be submitted via email [[email protected]] or to the Public Information Office at the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (600 East Main Street, Suite 2102, Richmond VA, 23219).
Community Events and Meetings
[[link removed]]
Last Thursday, I joined members of the Richmond City Democratic Committee for the monthly meeting. With Primary Elections occurring on June 20, members of RCDC are busy connecting with voters and meeting with candidates. I look forward to continuing to work with RCDC members in the lead up to Virginia’s elections.
[[link removed]]
Throughout the month of Ramadan, I have had the opportunity to celebrate with a variety of different mosques and their members in the Richmond area. In the evenings, we broke fast together and enjoyed time with family and friends. Ramadan concludes at the end of next week, and Muslims across the world will be celebrating Eid al-Fitr
[[link removed]]
On Monday, I visited Maggie Walker Governor’s School to participate in a panel discussion focused on the experiences of Desi-Americans within the United States and how school personnel can support students of varying cultural backgrounds. Alongside Rupa Murthy, CEO of YWCA Richmond; Meera Methaii, a first-generation immigrant serving as a professor at the VCU School of Education; Sapna Shenoy, an alumna of MLWGS; and Ravi Kalkunte, a private product manager at Klokner, we shared our personal narratives with students and administrators within MLWGS.
[[link removed]]
Later on Monday afternoon, I joined Delegate Betsy Carr in presenting resolutions honoring the life of Dr. John Victor Moeser ( SR 108 [[link removed]] and HJ 615 [[link removed]] ) to his wife and son. Dr. Moeser’s colleagues from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond, and family and friends reflected on the profound impact his work had on bringing light to issues of racial injustice within Richmond. His loss is deeply felt, but his legacy continues to live on through the work of those he supported and mentored.
[[link removed]]
After the floor session on Wednesday, I joined members of Citizen Climate Lobby for their monthly meeting to discuss how to effectively communicate with legislators and engage with the legislative process. Community engagement is vital to a healthy democratic process, and I look forward to continuing to hear from constituents, groups, and advocates as we prepare for the 2024 session.
Connecting With My Office
Please email us at [email protected] [[email protected]] or call our office at 804-698-7510. If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive my office’s weekly newsletter here [[link removed]] [[link removed]] .
— Ghazala
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
Email us: [email protected] [[email protected]]
This email was sent to [email protected]. Email is the most important way we keep in touch with people like you, so thank you for reading to the end.
Friends of Ghazala Hashmi
PO Box 72923
Richmond, VA 23235
United States
GhazalaHashmi.com [[link removed]]
unsubscribe: [link removed]
Paid for by Friends of Ghazala Hashmi