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** 2025 Session in Full Swing
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** ***NOTE: This was scheduled to be sent on January 27th but failed to send due to a technical issue with our email system. We are sending it today to make sure you are caught up on what has been happening here in Richmond. Be on the lookout for the next update this weekend.
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Friend,


After a rocky start to this year’s Legislative Session, we were finally in full swing. As many of you know, we missed the first three days of the General Assembly session due to a significant water crisis in Richmond. 


This crisis was largely due to significant failures in the management and oversight by the Democrat leadership in the city, which left residents in a precarious position and demanded immediate attention. Many went days without drinking water, and many more without any water at all. These necessities were not available, and through the course of the (still ongoing) investigation, it became apparent that these problems were mainly avoidable, but leadership failures of the city’s elected officials created a situation that left residents in disarray. This delay also meant that our already short session (we meet for only 45 days in odd numbered years) was compressed still further. As a result, we are operating with greater speed, which means that I have to be extra careful in looking out for the people I represent. I am hopeful that things will settle back into a more normal routine (which is still pretty fast) after crossover. We have also had some personnel changes in our office as well. My
new chief of staff, Carrie Sheffield, joined us on January 16 and is working alongside Gena Barker. The two of them are remarkable, but there has been a lot to catch up on. If you have reached out to me and haven’t heard back in as timely a fashion as usual, please forgive me, but know that we are now back to being fully staffed and we are once again full speed.


Now more than ever, the work we do here is critical. As we are fully underway for Legislative Session, I am working hard to encourage my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to set aside partisanship and work for all Virginians, as I am committed to doing. Infrastructure, education, innovation, and safety - these are all priorities I came to Richmond to tackle, and I am excited to serve another Legislative Session with your best interests at heart. Monday, January 13 marked the official start of our legislative activities, which opened with the Governor's State of the Commonwealth Address. This ordinarily happens on the evening of the first day of session, which was January 8, but the water crisis moved everything forward by 5 days.


STATE OF THE COMMONWEALTH ADDRESS


In his 2025 State of the Commonwealth address, Governor Glenn Youngkin presented an optimistic assessment of Virginia's status, highlighting economic growth, educational improvements, and public safety advancements. He emphasized the unity of Virginians across political lines and reflected on overcoming challenges, such as the recent water crisis in Richmond.


Key points included:


1. Economic Strength: Virginia's economy shows significant growth with job creation, business investments, and a projected budget surplus. CNBC recognized Virginia as the top state for business.


2. Education Initiatives: The governor announced extensive funding for education, emphasizing literacy and career technical programs, a $50 million proposal for Opportunity Scholarships for low-income families, and a call for a comprehensive revision of funding formulas.


3. Public Safety: Youngkin reported a decrease in violent crime and opioid-related deaths, attributing successes to increased law enforcement funding and initiatives. He called for harsher penalties for drug dealers causing fatalities.


4. Healthcare and Wellbeing: The address included plans to enhance care for mothers and infants, improve childcare access, and address mental health and substance abuse issues.


5. Energy Policy: Youngkin criticized the Virginia Clean Economy Act for its negative impact on power reliability and costs, advocating for increased natural gas and renewable energy solutions.


6. Support for Law Enforcement and Community Safety: The governor reaffirmed his administration's commitment to law enforcement and proposed measures to ensure local control over community decisions regarding energy and data center projects.


7. Disaster Recovery: He proposed establishing a Disaster Assistance Fund to aid in recovery from natural disasters.


Youngkin concluded by expressing gratitude for the opportunity to serve and called for bipartisan cooperation to continue building a prosperous future for Virginia.


TACKLING THE WATER ISSUE


In response to the ongoing water crisis in Richmond that left the city crippled after the snowstorm, Republicans in the Senate proposed legislation that would require the City of Richmond’s Director of Public Utilities to hold a degree or experience in a relevant field (i.e. Engineering or Public Utilities). Here’s some background on that proposal.

In 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cited Richmond for multiple violations related to inadequate maintenance, including corroded pumps, cracked filters, and outdated emergency response plans, with the last maintenance plan updated in 2017. A detailed report finalized on October 9, 2022, identified 44 major areas of concern, and Richmond's response was not issued until January 3, 2025.

Despite receiving $155 million in American Rescue Plan funds, Richmond's administration, led by Mayor Stoney, did not allocate any of this funding towards improving water infrastructure, as highlighted in the EPA report. Over the years, the city issued three Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to address these water issues—in 2016, 2021, and 2022—but none resulted in actionable solutions.

Concerns have also been raised about the qualifications of the current manager overseeing the water department, who was promoted from a position in customer service and lacks an engineering degree or relevant experience, unlike counterparts in surrounding areas. While the city allocated funds towards climate change studies ($1.5 million), recreational improvements ($78 million), and purchasing new parks ($1.5 million), there remains a significant need for qualified leadership to address the critical infrastructure problems identified by the EPA.


CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

This is the year we see first resolutions of constitutional amendments. The process by which we amend the Virginia Constitution is long and tedious. In order for an amendment to go into effect it must first be introduced in the form of a resolution that must pass both houses of the General Assembly. Then, there must be a general election that could change the membership of the legislature. The resolution is then presented a second time and must pass both houses again with absolutely no changes from the previous resolution. If that measure is successful, then the final step is for the proposed amendment to be presented to you, the voters, in a November General Election. If the majority vote to support the amendment, then it takes effect. Again, a slow and extremely deliberative process that allows the most complexity and involvement of any of the things we do.


REPUBLICAN AMENDMENTS


At the start of session, Republicans in the Senate proposed a Constitutional Amendment to enshrine Virginia’s status as a Right to Work state, protecting workers and small business owners across the Commonwealth.

The proposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution seeks to reaffirm the right of individuals to work freely, ensuring that no Virginian can be denied employment based on their choice to join or not join a labor union or employee organization. This amendment emphasizes the principles of individual freedom and personal choice, allowing Virginians to make decisions regarding union membership and financial contributions without facing coercion or retaliation.

By codifying the Right to Work principle, this proposal underscores Virginia's commitment to maintaining a competitive and fair marketplace, as evidence suggests that Right to Work states experience stronger job growth, increased investment, and better economic opportunities. Importantly, the amendment does not prohibit unions; it simply makes membership and financial support voluntary, thereby protecting workers from being compelled to pay dues as a condition of their employment.

Despite past efforts to repeal or weaken Virginia's Right to Work laws, including House Bill 1755 and the 'Fair Share Act,' there remains a strong bipartisan acknowledgment of the importance of these protections. The current statutory law, which can easily be overturned by a simple majority in the General Assembly, highlights the need for constitutional protection to ensure stability for workers and businesses in Virginia, ultimately placing the decision-making power in the hands of its citizens.


Sadly, this amendment was killed by the Democrats on a party line vote last Tuesday.


DEMOCRAT AMENDMENTS


This year, the Democrats in the Senate and House have proposed three Constitutional Amendments. The first would make the right to abortion a constitutionally protected right. While there are many on both sides of the aisle who support a woman’s right to choose, the overwhelming majority also want some limitations. This constitutional amendment removes all restrictions, leaving open the opportunity for an abortion up to the moment of delivery in many cases, and also fails to add any provision for parental notification in the cases of minors seeking abortion. Republicans tried diligently to amend the resolution to relieve these incredibly extreme positions, but to no avail. All of our proposed amendments were defeated, and the measure was adopted on party line votes.


The second amendment deals with the restoration of the voting rights of felons. Currently anyone convicted of a felony can only have their rights restored by the Governor. This amendment would allow anyone to automatically have their rights restored after they are released from prison, but with no distinction between violent crimes, like murder and rape, and also with no provision to ensure that the court mandated restitution to the victims of the crimes had been completed. Republicans worked to add these restrictions to the resolution, but were again defeated on a party line vote and this measure was also adopted.


The final amendment proposed deals with marriage. The Virginia constitution still contains language adopted in 2006 by the voters of Virginia that limited marriage to between one man and one woman. The US Supreme Court overturned this measure, and same sex marriages are now performed regularly in Virgnia. The amendment proposed is pitched as being a repeal of the 2006 amendment, but rather than simply returning the constitution to the previous language it adds some significant additional language than many of us were uncomfortable with. While I did not support this measure it was also adopted.


Again, this is only the first step in process of amending the state constitution. All of these measures must also pass the house, must be adopted again with no changes in the 2026 session of the General Assembly, and then be voted on by all of the voters of the Commonwealth in the next General Election before they would take effect.



BAD DEM BILLS


One of the bills championed by the Democrats was a blatant gun-grab attempt, and I voted against it. SB744, patroned by Senator Barbara Favola (D - Arlington), would require that if someone with a protective order relinquishes a firearm, the person they give it to must be over the age of 21. There will be many more pieces of legislation coming to the floor, in addition to the Committees I sit on.


BUDGET AMENDMENTS


At the start of session, I submitted my final amendments to the budget, including

Amendment 371#6s - which supports the Virginia Museum of Transportation,

Amendment 415#1s - which would provide for Craig County Emergency Radio to receive a system upgrade.

Amendment 288#26s - which would provide a rate increase for DME, and

Amendment 999#66s - which would help to fund Goodwill Industries of the Valley’s Adult High School


MY LEGISLATION


This year I submitted 19 bills. Several have already passed the Senate and are headed to the House. All have passed unanimously.


SB798 – Protects locally owned businesses that operate as a franchise by ensuring that they are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and not another state. It will also protect the franchisees right to make a living after the termination or expiration of the franchise agreement.


SB925 – Many health plans are currently paying health care providers like doctor’s offices through electronic means that require the provider to pay a fee to get paid. My bill requires the health insurance carrier to provide an alternative method of payment that requires no fee.


SB796 - Would give the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority, the authority that currently owns Explore Park, the ability to transfer ownership of the park to Roanoke County. It also then gives the Authority the option (though not the mandate) to dissolve itself once all property has been transferred and all obligations have been met. Although the name of the Authority sounds like it covers the whole state, it is only associated with Explore Park, which has been in a 99-year lease to Roanoke County to operate the park for the last 9 years.

     

SB927 – This bill creates the Virginia Sports Tourism Fund. This fund will provide grants to localities to help attract various sporting events, from youth softball tournaments to bike races to marathons. This program will allow us to compete with other states more aggressively. Additionally, as the pilot program that was just completed showed, these events generate more in tax revenue than the cost of the grant, so it is a benefit to the state.


I will keep you informed on my other legislation in future newsletters.


CONCLUSION


As always, I encourage you to share your views, opinions, suggestions, and questions with me as they relate to legislation or state government. You can email my office at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])  or call us at (540) 283-2839. And if you are in Richmond, be sure to visit my office at the General Assembly building. I am in Room 619. With the General Assembly session being shorter this year, my schedule is often unpredictable, but if I am available, I would enjoy the chance to say hello.


I’ll be in touch next week with another update from the General Assembly. Have a wonderful week!


Yours in service,

Christopher T. Head

3rd Senatorial District of Virginia

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