Dear Jack,

We've concluded Week 5 of the 2020 legislative session! The session is nearly at its halfway point now, which we call "crossover." At that point, bills that have passed the House will be taken up in the Senate, and Senate bills will be taken up in the House.

It was an honor to chair a meeting of the Military and Veterans Caucus on Wednesday morning!

The Virginia Association of Nurse Anesthetists (VANA) came to visit the Senate gallery on Tuesday! The Senate unanimously passed my bill to allow certified registered nurse anesthetists to prescribe medication that afternoon.

On Thursday I attended Governor Northam’s reception in honor of the Local Government Exchange Program! The Governor’s office has established this program to help build statewide partnerships between geographically distant localities. Loudoun County has been paired up with the City of Danville for this program.

Legislation Updates

The Virginia Values Act: This week, we passed the Virginia Values Act (SB 868/HB 1663) in the Senate and the House, which protects people from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation in areas such as housing, credit, and employment. This bill is a major victory for LGBTQ Virginians, who can currently be fired from their jobs or evicted from their homes simply for being who they are. Virginia is the first Southern state to pass this sweeping anti-discrimination legislation.

My Legislation: My bill SB 272, which prohibits the excessive tethering of dogs, passed the Senate this week! This bill will ensure that dogs are not tethered outdoors overnight or in severe weather conditions. It will also extend the minimum length of the tether to ensure dogs' comfort and freedom of movement.

District News

Starting in mid-March, be on the lookout for a letter from the U.S. Census Bureau with information on how to submit your Census response.  Every 10 years, the federal government conducts a population count of everyone living in the United States of America. Census data affects how local, state, and federal districts are drawn, and also determines how more than $675 billion in federal funding is distributed to localities. We strongly encourage you to participate in the Census this year.

As always, feel free to reach out to my office anytime with any concerns or questions you may have. My office’s number in Richmond is (804) 698-7513 and our office's email address is [email protected].

Sincerely,