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Two of my bills have passed the House and Senate and are on the way to the Governor’s desk. These two bills are SB334, which prohibits certain plea agreements from waiving 4th Amendment protections, and SB340, which clarifies that employee names and descriptions of purchases are not exempt from FOIA on government payment records.
Additionally, four of my bills will be going to “conference”. This means that there were differences between the House version and the Senate version of my bills that passed. The conference committee will iron out the differences and then they will be passed by the House and the Senate again. Currently SB21 (Disability Accommodations in Higher Ed), SB327 (Age restrictions on Assault Firearm Purchases), SB649 (Raising Benefits for the Line of Duty Act), and SB306 (Requires Signage Identifying Invasive Plants at Retail Locations where they are Sold).
Unfortunately, not all of my bills that passed the Senate have reached similar fates in the House. SB304, which would legalize accessory dwelling units (ADUs) across Virginia, was postponed until next year in committee. On a more positive note, the Housing Commission will receive a letter from House leadership requesting data on ADU policies. I believe that with this data, an even stronger bill will be able to be passed and be signed into law next year.
Budget 💵
Finally, budget negotiations are in full swing, with Metro funding emerging as a critical issue. Alongside Northern Virginia lawmakers, I am advocating for full funding to WMATA so we can avert service cuts and sustain public transportation infrastructure. Despite initial budgetary challenges, I am optimistic that the final budget will reflect necessary investments in Metro and other critical priorities.
Constitutional Amendments 📜
Constitutional amendments, including the repeal of Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage and the codification of abortion rights, will be voted on by the General Assembly next year. These proposals require successive legislative approval with a House of Delegate election in between, followed by a popular referendum. Hopefully, these amendments will pass out of the General Assembly by 2026, and then they will head to all Virginians on their ballots to decide.
Elections 🗳️
This year, like every other year in Virginia, is an election year! While it seems like the 2020 Presidential election just finished up, we are already voting on the next one. The Democratic and Republican Presidential primaries are this coming Tuesday, March 5th. I encourage everyone to get out and vote! You can learn more about voting at Elections.virginia.gov
Fairfax Connector Strike 🚌
Fairfax Connector workers have been on strike since last week. Their contract with Transdev, Fairfax Connector's operator, expired in December. Tens of thousands of Fairfax residents have been left without vital bus services since the strike began. With each day a fair contract is not reached with ATU Local 689 workers, our region feels the strain. I stand in solidarity with these workers for a good deal. Below is the letter that members of the General Assembly delegation from Fairfax sent to Transdev. You can see the latest updates on Fairfax Connector service here.
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