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The General Assembly session is now at full steam. Committees are considering long dockets of legislation submitted by the Senators and bills are beginning to come to the floor for consideration by the full Senate. In addition to the three committees I currently serve on, this week I was appointed to serve on Local Government. I am looking forward to using my experience as a Board of Supervisor that will come before this committee.

CRACKING DOWN ON FENTANYL DEATHS
 
As part of our effort to keep Virginians safer, my Republican colleagues in the Senate and I want to crack down on illegal sale of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs that often lead to deaths from overdoses. These deaths are tragic and the heartbreak and grief families and loved ones go through is indescribable. They also add to the burdens placed on first responders and health care services. It is so important that we do everything we can to prevent these deaths and hold accountable those who played in a role in these tragedies accountable.
 
Republicans supported legislation to crack down on those who play a role in deaths due to dangerous illegal drugs. Under the Republican bill, an individual illegally providing drugs that are responsible for the death of the user could be charged with second degree murder—even if no money was involved. My Republican colleagues and I think it is just common sense that with the number of deaths due to substances like fentanyl increasing, it is time to hold the people who provide these drugs that result in death accountable for their actions. Most Democrats on the Courts of Justice committee refused to support this common-sense measure and the bill died on an 8-7 vote.
 

RETURNING CONTROL OVER AUTO EMISSIONS TO VIRGINIA
 
A few years ago, Democrats passed a law that requires Virginia’s rules related to auto emissions and electric vehicle mandates mirror those set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). This means that unelected California bureaucrats are setting rules that Virginians will be forced to live by.
 
Because of this, Virginians are on course to phase out sales of gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035--the same schedule California has set for itself. Whatever CARB decides for California automatically becomes the law in Virginia. Companies like Ford are cutting electric vehicle production because sales are below expectations. Battery life is lousy in cold weather here in Virginia. It will cost billions to upgrade the electric grid to give us the capacity to charge all these cars. Because of the bill passed by the Democrats a few years back, Californians make our rules, not Virginians. My Republican colleagues and I want to change that.
 
A bill was put forward to return control over these rules to Virginia, co-sponsored by every Republican in the State Senate. Even with all that support, Democrats used their majority on the Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee to kill the bill. Sadly, that leaves Californians in charge of telling Virginia what our auto emission standards should be.
 

LEGISLATION
 
Last week I presented my Senate Bill 25 to the Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources Committee. Senate Bill 25 deals with Virgina Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy. It removes the prohibition on the allocation of funds to the Virginia Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund and Program unless federal funds are available in an amount that would cover the entire cost of such an allocation. SB 25 received a vote of 13-0 and it was referred to the Senate Finance Committee.

As always, I want to encourage you to watch the General Assembly session. You are welcome to visit us in person in Richmond and view the proceedings from the gallery. But you can also stream each day’s session here: http://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3.

Please let me know where you stand on legislation impacting you. You can reach us at our email [email protected] or call (804) 698-7505.To get up-to-date information, please follow us on our Facebook page, Senator Travis Hackworth. I will be in touch next week with another update from the General Assembly. Have a great week!

Until next week,

Senator Travis Hackworth
Virginia State Senator, District 5