The Budget & Eid Event Friends, It has been a few weeks since the session has come to a close, but things have still been busy! Sen. Salim’s Eid Celebration Dinner Muslims all over the world observe the holy month of Ramadan, and by its end, they celebrate a special festival called “Eid.” I invite you to join me on this special occasion of Eid celebration. It is an occasion of peace and joy. People gather at mosques for Eid prayers, visit relatives, indulge in delicious festive meals, and contribute to charity. Let’s come together as a community to celebrate love, unity, and the blessings of Eid. Join me on April 20th at 6 PM at Tandoori Fairfax for my first annual Eid celebration dinner! I hope that this will become one of the best political fundraisers of the yearly calendar! Click here to register. Budget Chaos This session, the Democratic-led General Assembly passed a budget with record investments into public K-12 education, higher education, and mental health. Our budget was serious, structurally balanced, and on time. Unfortunately for Governor Youngkin, this budget did not include authorization for his “Glenn-Dome” Arena in Alexandria. Since then, Gov. Youngkin has been on a revenge streak and is on track to veto more bills than any other Governor in Virginia history! Governor Youngkin has vetoed bills on invasive plants, bipartisan reforms to our criminal justice system, and is now threatening an unprecedented veto of our bipartisan budget. The Governor has been on a media circuit, appearing at places around the Commonwealth, and even on Fox News, decrying our budget as “backwards.” The Governor is mad that we undid the tax cut to the wealthy that was in his proposed budget and funded our schools instead. Let’s be clear, we will not be bullied by veto into the Glenn-dome and tax cuts for the wealthy. Over the next week, Senate and House Democrats will be going on a media tour of our own, outlining our budget and setting the record straight for Virginians. Sen. Salim preparing to vote on the budget before the close of session. Contributions During the annual legislative session, legislators are forbidden from accepting political donations. Now that the session is over, please consider making a donation. During non-election years, your donations are crucial towards paying staff and keeping my operations going. Click HERE to contribute. Donate $25 Donate $50 Donate $100 Photo Gallery Sen. Salim and Del. Tran at the close of session. Sen. Salim with the Indian American Muslim Council Sen. Salim with Senate and House Democrats addressing the Media Sen. Salim at the ribbon cutting of the MITRE AI Discovery Lab in Tysons Sen. Salim at Amazon HQ2 for an AAPI Chamber of Commerce Roundtable Sen. Salim, Del. Keys-Gamarra and others celebrating Holi I am adding a new section to my newsletter advertising community events and other important information. If you would like to send an event to be considered for inclusion in the next newsletter, please email [email protected] with the subject line “Community Board”. Solarize NoVA Launches April 1 through June 30 As we step into spring, a pivotal season for sustainable development in our community, we wanted to share an exciting upcoming initiative that gives back to Northern Virginia homeowners and businesses. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Solarize NoVA, a campaign dedicated to accelerating Virginia's transition to solar energy. From April 1st to June 30th, we're partnering with the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, the Local Energy Alliance Program and local solar installers to embark on a mission to make solar energy more accessible and affordable. We want you to take advantage of this opportunity and power your solar journey! Since the campaign’s inception in 2014 the results have been outstanding. 913 contracts for 8.5 MW of solar and nearly $25 million in private investment all with local solar companies. These solar arrays help offset 9,100 tons of carbon pollution annually. Let's solarize Northern Virginia together! To sign up for free or learn more information, go to www.solarizenova.org. Fairfax City Residents - I Voted Sticker Contest Fairfax City youth can shape the future through art by designing voter stickers for Fairfax City elections. Students in grades K-12 in Fairfax City are invited to create "I Voted" or "Future Voter" stickers that mention the City of Fairfax. These stickers will be distributed during the Nov. 5, 2024, General Election, as well as other future elections Entries are Due April 12th! Learn more: [link removed] Sincerely, Senator Saddam Azlan Salim Virginia State Senate District 37   Send me your Thoughts! PAID FOR AND AUTHORIZED BY FRIENDS OF SADDAM AZLAN SALIM THIS NEWSLETTER WAS PAID FOR BY CAMPAIGN FUNDS. NO TAXPAYER FUNDS WERE USED IN THE CREATION OF THIS NEWSLETTER. Friends of Saddam Azlan Salim | P.O Box 249, Merrifield, VA 22116-0249 | SalimForSenate.com Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!