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Dear Friend,
In this week’s newsletter, I reflect on the second anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision and provide information on laws that are effective in Virginia today, July 1. I also share a recent article featuring Laura Akesson, my office’s Commonwealth of Virginia Engineering and Science (COVES) Fellow, and highlight a few community engagements from this past week. Thank you for reading this newsletter and staying informed.
Second Anniversary of the Disastrous Dobbs Decision
Last Monday was the second anniversary of the disastrous Dobbs decision, and many marked the occasion with a renewed commitment to safeguarding the health, rights, and protections of women across the country. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision that overturned Roe v. Wade sent shock waves across the country as we witnessed a new generation of women actually lose the rights that their mothers, grandmothers, and, in some cases, great-grandmothers had fought hard for and achieved.
The consequences of the disaster that is Dobbs have been devastating. Fourteen states have now passed an essentially-total ban on abortion, and even more are passing oppressive restrictions on abortion care. In almost all of these states, medical providers run the risk of being charged with a felony for performing their duties. Virginia is now the last state in the South to protect safe and legal access to abortion, but even here we have seen numerous bills introduced by Republicans in 2022, 2023, and in 2024 that would have taken away medical safety for women. Governor Youngkin has stated that he is ready to sign any abortion ban that makes it to his desk. By one-seat majorities, we have been able to kill these bills and protect Virginians’ health care, but that margin is too slim and too concerning. In this recent session, we even saw Youngkin veto my bills that would have ensured the Right to Contraception and access to contraception. These challenges to our rights to privacy and to essential health care are extremely concerning, and women’s lives, especially the lives of those most marginalized, are on the line.
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New Laws that are Effective on July 1
Each year, the Division of Legislative Services publishes In Due Course [[link removed]] , listing legislation going into effect on July 1. Here are a few recent legislative actions that become effective today:
SB 46/HB48: Prohibits public institutions of higher education from providing preferential treatment in admissions based on a student's legacy status or a student's familial relationship to any donor to the institution
SB456/HB555: Codifies the Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman and the Corrections Oversight Committee to ensure transparency and accountability within our Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities through an independent process separate from the DOC
SB480/HB906: Prohibits electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities disconnections during declared states of emergency, times of extreme temperatures, on Fridays, weekends, state holidays, and the day immediately preceding a state holiday
HB 994: Ends child marriage in the Commonwealth by requiring the legal age to marry be 18 years old
Introducing Our 2024 COVES Fellow: Laura Akesson
This summer, my office is hosting our third COVES Fellow, Laura Akesson. The Commonwealth of Virginia Engineering and Science (COVES) Fellowship program seeks to connect postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in STEM-H fields to the state agencies, policy- and lawmakers, and thus strengthen ties between academic researchers and policy work. Laura’s research is focused on our Commonwealth’s renewable energy regulations. By the end of her fellowship program, Laura will translate her research into a policy brief that will lay the ground for possible legislation to be introduced during the 2025 session. A profile about Laura and COVES fellowship [[link removed]] program highlights her wide-ranging background, areas of expertise, and the work she is currently doing as a doctoral student in the Physics Department of George Mason University.
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Select Community Engagements
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Last Friday, I joined the 4th Congressional District Democrats for a welcome reception kicking off our State Convention weekend. Democrats from all across Virginia joined us in the evening as we discussed the work ahead of us this summer and fall in preparation of the 2024 national elections.
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Saturday was a busy day as Richmond welcomed Democratic elected officials, party leaders, and committee members to the State Democratic Convention. The day’s convening to elect the delegates who will represent Virginia at the National Convention in Chicago was followed by the 2024 Blue Commonwealth Gala with keynote speakers Senator Raphael Warnock (GA) and Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky.
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On Sunday, as an appointed member of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), I flew to Dallas to attend the annual conference with other legislators from throughout the South and my own colleagues from Virginia. Our conversations during this two-day conference focused on better support for teachers, how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing and challenging education, career pathways, and more. Pictured above is the Virginia delegation to the SREB Conference.
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On Tuesday evening, I joined the Staunton Democratic Committee for its monthly meeting. I was able to connect with friends, both old and new, and also had the chance to meet Ken Mitchell, Democratic nominee for Virginia’s 6th Congressional District.
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On Thursday morning, I joined representatives from Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, Protect Our Care, Affordable Virginia, health care advocates, and my colleague Sen. Aaron Rouse (Virginia Beach) for a press conference [[link removed]] on the stark differences between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump on healthcare issues. Donald Trump and his allies have outlined a platform that would dangerously strip even further the access to safe and legal abortion, threaten contraceptives and IVF; they have also promised that they will dismantle the Affordable Care Act, leaving hundreds of thousands of Virginians without health care.
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On Thursday afternoon, I joined Richmond-based Babylon Micro-Farms [[link removed]] and community leaders from across the Metro Richmond Area for the unveiling of Babylon’s new education-focused Micro-Farm, the STEM Garden. These products are available to be used by schools across the state, integrating essential curricula about agriculture and nutrition into hands-on experiences for our students.
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On Thursday evening, friends and supporters held a wonderful Chesterfield County Campaign Kickoff for my campaign for Lieutenant Governor, with nearly one hundred Chesterfield residents attending. Several in attendance had volunteered on my 2019 campaign when we flipped the former SD-10 from red to blue and brought in a one-seat Democratic majority to the Senate and secured the trifecta in 2020 and 2021. I thank the elected officials who joined us that evening: Delegate Mike Jones, Supervisor Mark Miller, Supervisor Jessica Schneider, Clerk of Court Amanda Pohl, and Soil & Water Conservation District Director Laura Thompson.
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On Friday afternoon, my staff joined an array of community health partners to share my office services with constituents at the 2024 Community Health and Celebration Fair hosted by the Virginia Community Health Worker Association. I look forward to continuing to work with partners to help address health disparities within our most in-need communities.
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On Saturday, I attended and spoke at the Network NOVA’s 8th Annual Women's Summit [[link removed]] . We celebrated hard fought victories from this past legislative cycle and focused on strategies for supporting candidates, organizations, and advocates who are fighting for our values on issues such as reproductive freedom, voting rights, and working families.
Independence Day
My staff and I wish everyone a fun and safe celebration. All state offices will be closed on July 4, and reopen July 5.
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Psst: We are sneaking this note in at the end so that Senator Hashmi won’t see it. If you’ve read this far, the Senator’s staff has a special message: Ghazala is celebrating her birthday next week and it’s a BIG ONE – her 60th Birthday! We would love to share well wishes from newsletter readers. Simply reply to this email, and we’ll compile all of your messages for her to read on her special day!
Connecting With My Office
My office can be reached at the following:
Email: [email protected] [gmail.com]
Phone: 804.698.7515
If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive my office’s weekly newsletter here [[link removed]] .
— Ghazala
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