Capitol Clips: Legislative Update

This week was one of the busiest of the General Assembly session, as we worked hard to compensate for lost time. Last Tuesday was “Crossover,” the last day for us to vote on legislation before we had to send all passed bills to the House of Delegates. After Tuesday, we started working on bills sent over from the House.

We also voted to pass the Senate version of state budget bill this week, SB800. The budget is the most important and comprehensive piece of legislation that we vote on. There are many steps in Virginia’s budget process with much more work to be done between now and the scheduled end of session on February 22.

The Senate successfully passed 120 Republican bills aimed at making a positive impact on our communities. While we have not achieved all we hoped for, we remain optimistic that our colleagues across the aisle will recognize the merit of the great Republican legislation we have advanced and support sending these bills to the Governor’s desk.

Much of the focus of our legislation was on our priorities of protecting children and mothers, making our communities safer, and putting more money back in the pockets of Virginians. This includes the Appalachian Power Rate Reduction Act I co-sponsored with Senator Mark Peake. The bill passed with bipartisan support on the Senate floor last week and now includes an amendment that prohibits disconnection of residential customers until December 31, 2026 and prevents rate increases during the coldest months of the year.

The Virginia High School League (VHSL) has updated its policy regarding transgender student-athlete participation in school sports to comply with President Trump’s recent executive orders. This change comes after an executive order signed by President Donald Trump banned transgender athletes from women’s and girls' sports. The “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” Executive Order limits athletes from competing in teams corresponding to their assigned gender at birth. VHSL’s prior policy allowed transgender athletes to apply for a waiver to play on the team that matches their gender identity.

Following a busy week in Richmond, we retuned home for an in-district visit from Governor Youngkin. The governor joined us for a first responders breakfast in Dickenson County before worshipping at Esserville Church in Norton and stopping in for lunch at the Woodbooger Grill.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or if my office may be of assistance. We can be reached at (804) 698-7506 or [email protected].