Sen. Aaron Rouse

Thursday, February 15th, 2024
Weekly Newsletter

This week was a busy one in the General Assembly! We reached crossover yesterday – the day that bills introduced and passed in one chamber of the General Assembly “crossover” to be voted on by the other.

Thirteen of the bills that I was Chief Patron have passed the Virginia Senate! Now, the bills head to the House of Delegates!

This critical legislation will protect voting rights, strengthen working families and ensure small businesses can thrive in our Commonwealth. Due to working across party lines in the best interest of my constituents, the majority of my legislation passed with bipartisan support through the Senate. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to come together, pass these bills, and send them to the Governor’s desk.

– Senator Aaron Rouse

1. SB 343 - Establish military-centered community zones. Allow localities to offer unique economic development benefits in communities that serve a high population of military personnel.
2. SB 300 - Prevent unlawful and/or flawed voter purges by setting standards, such as a verification requirement. The general registrars must send notice before canceling a voter's registration, regardless of the reason for cancellation. Any canceled voter registrations create a record available to the public per the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and the National Voter Registration Act

   • 🎉SB300 (Rouse) has passed Senate! This bill puts safeguards in place to prevent voters from being improperly purged from the voter rolls. #VaLeg New Virginia Majority@NewVAMajority 1:25 PM · Feb 13, 2024 · X

3. SB 188 - Election of certain governing bodies; conversion to single-member districts. Allows the governing body of a locality that has been subject to a court order imposing a remedial election system under voting rights laws to adopt an ordinance to convert one or more at-large seats of such body to single-member districts.
4. SB 212 - Establish a framework for the regulation, taxation, and enforcement of skill games in Virginia. Under this bill, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority would oversee skill games, which is estimated to bring $200 million in tax revenue to the Commonwealth for public education, school construction, and local governments.
5. SB 448 - Legalize recreational marijuana sales in Virginia. Establishment of marijuana retail market and regulatory structure inclusive of Virginia’s small and midsize businesses. The legislation will allow for potential licensees to apply for licenses at the same time, sets a 12% retail tax for marijuana and marijuana products, with 6% going to the state, 6% to localities and empowers the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to establish secure seed to sale tracking.
6. SB 635 - Extend Virginia’s “cocktails to go” policy, which allows bars and restaurants to sell alcoholic beverages for takeout. More than 35 states, including Virginia, have permitted restaurants/bars to sell cocktails to-go since the pandemic started. States such as Arizona, Georgia, and Washington D.C., have enacted “cocktails to go” as a permanent policy.
   • Virginia House, Senate pass bills to make to-go cocktails permanent | WRIC ABC 8News
7. SB 181 - Establish Cardiac Emergency Response Plan for schools. Requires each public elementary or secondary school to develop a cardiac emergency response plan (CERP) to appropriately direct school personnel to respond to incidents involving an individual who is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest or a similar life-threatening emergency while on school grounds.
8. SB 634 - Amend the powers of the State Corporation Commission to require the consideration of public safety, workforce development, and fair labor standards.
9. SB 355 - Modernizing rental agreements for Self-Storage facilities. Allows rental agreements to be delivered and accepted electronically. This bill would also allow for self-storage facility owners to tow, per local ordinances, any non-authorized abandoned vehicles or watercraft.
10. SB 189 - Change the Virginia Beach City charter to adopt the 10-1 election system. Amends the charter for the City of Virginia Beach to reflect the City's transition to a city council consisting solely of single-member districts and the mayor.
11. SB 184 - Expands the definition of the practice of geology to include the performance of any professional service or work wherein the principles and methods of geology are applied.
12. SB 650 - Emergency Response Toxic Exposure Grant Fund and Program. Establishes a work group to identify and analyze options that may be available to local government employees who respond to emergencies that expose them to toxic materials and have access to preemptive health care to aftereffects that are not covered by relevant health insurance plans.
13. SB 182 - Regulate how manufacturers, brokers, importers and wholesalers may advertise and promote alcoholic beverages via the Internet, social media, direct-to-consumer electronic communication, or other electronic means.

Senator Rouse started the week in session with his Senate colleagues voting on bills in preparation for crossover. On Tuesday, four of the Senator’s bills passed the Finance & Appropriations committee and are awaiting consideration in the House of Delegates. These bills include SB 212, SB 300, SB 448, and SB 634.

Rouse in the Press

• List: Military-related bills that could impact Hampton Roads (pilotonline.com)
  • Introduced by Sen. Aaron Rouse, Senate Bill 343 would allow localities to establish military-centered community zones in areas where the presence of military members has the potential to drive economic activity.
  • “This legislation will help localities provide a better quality of life for service members while stationed in Virginia and improves Virginia’s ability to retain transitioning military members in the future,” Rouse, a Virginia Beach Democrat, said in an email.
• Virginia Democrats aim to tighten voter rolls post-ERIC, voter purge | VPM
  • A bill from state Sen. Aaron Rouse (D–Virginia Beach) aims to prevent a repeat of last year’s voter purge. The removals affected people who’d previously been convicted of a felony but subsequently had their rights restored by the governor. In Virginia, people convicted of felonies automatically lose the right to vote unless a governor restores it.
• Senate Democrats pass bills to increase minimum wage, create a retail market for recreational marijuana | WRIC ABC 8News.
  • Another key priority for Democrats passed the Senate. A bill by Senator Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach) passed on a party-line vote with Democrats arguing that Virginia needs a regulated market to combat a dangerous illicit market.
  • “We hear from Scott County to Virginia Beach that this is a true public safety and public health crisis and that we are missing out on tens of millions of dollars in potential revenue that could be reinvested in our communities,” said Rouse.
• The five Ws of weed in the commonwealth | VPM
  • Lawmakers have submitted two competing frameworks, which have seen significant changes as they move through the legislative process. The Senate’s working version of the bill is sponsored by state Sen. Aaron Rouse (D–Virginia Beach) and incorporates another bill sponsored by state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D–Alexandria).
• Commentary: Skill games help keep small businesses afloat (richmond.com)

Travel around the Commonwealth

In addition to my work in the legislature, I’ve been traveling around the Commonwealth to better understand how the issues before the General Assembly affect our communities. As the Chairman of the Privileges & Elections Committee, it’s imperative that I hear from voters to help uplift their voices, especially during this critical election year.

📍 Richmond: Democratic Committee Zoom Meeting

Pumped to join @RichmondDems to give an update on the constitutional amendments we’re working on & what we’ve accomplished on the Senate Privileges and Elections committee. Democrats are paving the way forward to expand voting rights, protect abortion access & marriage equality! Aaron Rouse @AaronRouseVaBch 9:05 PM · Feb 1, 2024 · X

📍 Arlington: Second Saturday Breakfast with Arlington Democratic Committee and Rep. Don Beyer!

PACKED HOUSE this morning with @arlingtondems & @DonBeyerVA. We worked too hard to move Virginia forward to take anything for granted, so much is at stake. Let’s win BIG again in 2024! Aaron Rouse @AaronRouseVaBch 11:34 AM · Feb 10, 2024 · X

📍 Alexandria: Tour of the Old Town waterfront with Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson

📍 Braddock: Democratic Committee Annual Soupfest

No better way to end the night than at @BraddockDems Annual Soupfest! 🥣 Secret soup recipe coming up next year! Aaron Rouse @AaronRouseVaBch 7:57 PM · Feb 10, 2024 · X

📍 Richmond: Superbowl Sunday Party in Richmond

Last night was incredible at our Super Bowl party in RVA! Thank you to the 200+ football fans who came out to cheer on their favorite team. Congrats to @Chiefs on their big win - until next year! 🏈 💥 Aaron Rouse @AaronRouseVaBch 10:44 AM · Feb 12, 2024 · X

Football brings everyone together! My colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Rouse with Delegate Austin and Senator Pillion

Senator Rouse with Democratic Caucus Chair, Senator Mamie Locke

Senator Rouse with a lifelong Packers fan, Senator Creigh Deeds. Go Pack Go!

📍 Henrico: Henrico Democratic Committee Meeting

Thank you so much to Senator @AaronRouseVaBch …you were a hit with the @HenricoDems! It was great to see and hear from you. Thankful for all of our fantastic Democrats in the Senate 🙏🏼💙 Henrico Democrats 💙@HenricoDems 8:07 AM · Feb 13, 2024 · X