On Friday, we had students from Varina High School visit us to discuss environmental and housing policies. As a teacher, I love when students participate in our democratic process and advocate for the issues they are passionate about.

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I am excited to share updates on where all of my bills stand and will continue to update you as they move through the House of Delegates following crossover. As of today, 13 of my bills have passed the Senate and will be heard in House committees in the next couple of weeks. Below is a chart of all the bills I have introduced and where they stand: 

In addition to my newsletter, you can continuously stay updated on my bills through the Legislative Information System (LIS). Livestreams and past recordings of Session, as well as committee meetings can all be found at this link. Legislation, as well as meeting calendars and committee information can be found here.

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Presenting SB 606 in front of the Senate Privileges & Elections Committee. This bill will require Virginia to participate in the Electronic Registration Information Center compact (EIRC) which will improve the accuracy of voter rolls, expands access to voter registration for all eligible Virginians, reduces election costs, and streamlines the election process.

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The number on issue I heard on the doors this fall had to do with housing. We have an affordable housing crisis happening here in central Virginia and I am going to continue to prioritize (and be a broken record on) housing supply and affordability. For Generation Z — adults born in the mid-1990s and on — Richmond is the second-hardest metropolitan region to buy a home according to a recent New York Times analysis. This is bad for our families, economy and future. 

The Richmond Times Dispatch did a good deep dive into some of the housing bills that we have been considering this session as we try to tackle this crisis. Below is a snippet of me talking about my bill, SB 430, that would have allowed localities to build residential housing in commercial zones like we see with the redevelopment of the Regency Mall and Libbie Mill. You can read the full piece here. Here's a small part of the article:

“If you want to live in western Henrico County, the area I represent, and you’re a public servant, you’re a working-class American, it is almost next to impossible to buy a house unless you have already had equity from homes you bought before,” VanValkenburg said.

“It’s a regional problem. It’s a statewide problem. And it’s gonna get worse. And I put this bill in because I wanted to get people talking,” he said as he moved to continue his proposal rather than see opposition from local government associations lead fellow senators to kill it outright.

“We need to fix this now because this problem is only going to get worse and the solutions are only going to get harder,” he said.
 

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What a great celebration of the Chinese New Year at Godwin High with the Organization of Chinese Americans Central Virginia Chapter! The OCA just turned 50 and does amazing work in the Richmond Region. Enjoyed celebrating with Senator Ghazala Hashmi!

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The Central Virginia Transportation Authority is seeking public input about proposed projects to improve transportation infrastructure in Richmond and surrounding areas during the next five years. The proposed projects, which are part of the agency’s Fiscal Year 2025-2030 Regional Revenue Draft Funding Scenario, include $151.5 million worth of bike, pedestrian, bridge, and highway improvements.

The CVTA was created to help fund transportation projects that benefit the region. Member localities and regional transportation partners engaged in a competitive application process through which projects were submitted for funding. Together, the CVTA staff and members assessed the projects’ merit, cost, and regional value before determining a draft slate of final project commitments.

Now, the public can comment on the proposed projects online at planrva.org/transportation/cvta-comments; by email at [email protected]; in person during a public hearing Feb. 23 at 9 a.m. at PlanRVA at 424 Hull Street, Suite 300 in Richmond; or through a Zoom webinar. Comments received on the proposed projects will be distributed to CVTA members.

Finished up a busy week in the General Assembly by calling some constituents who had reached out during the week!

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If you would like to reach out and discuss any of my legislative priorities, share an opinion, or send a scheduling request if you’d like me to come and share a legislative update at a community or organization meeting, please do not hesitate to contact my office at [email protected]. 

I am also preparing resolutions to celebrate notable achievements of residents of the 16th Senate district and memorial resolutions for members of our community that we lost this year. If you have a suggestion for a member of our community that you would like to be honored, please email me at [email protected].


Yours in service,