Dear friends, 

With the elections behind us and the new year fast approaching, I am hard at work preparing for the 2026 legislative session to be my most productive session yet. Not only do we have a trifecta in Richmond, we have a mandate for bold, progressive change that will help Virginians make ends meet. 

For this month's column in the Falls Church News Press, I wrote about the outcome of the election and how I view the mandate that the voters have given us. Rising prices, stagnant wages, and a declining supply of housing are at the top of our agenda, as are the rights of all those being targeted, disenfranchised, or defunded by the Trump administration. I hope you will read my column in print or online here.

First bill introduced for 2026

One of the first bills I passed out of the General Assembly in 2024 was Senate Bill 334. This bill, which was vetoed by Governor Youngkin, would have protected our 4th amendment rights by prohibiting prosecutors from seeking plea agreements that require a defendant to waive their 4th amendment freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures or their rights to seek an expungement.

As was noted in this article about that bill, these agreements sometimes last even longer than the agreed term of supervised probation, encouraging bad policework and exposing those who have paid their debt to society to an endless infringement on their privacy.

This year, this legislation was my first bill sent to the Clerk of the Senate, and it has been filed as SB 23. As a member of the Courts of Justice Committee I look forward to continuing to improve our criminal justice system. I will be introducing more bills throughout this month and in the leadup to the first day of the legislative session on January 14th.

Spotlight on Housing

The City of Fairfax recently released the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, identifying practical steps to increase the supply of affordable housing, preserve existing units, and expand housing choices. It provides a framework to guide future policy, partnerships, and investment in affordable and workforce housing in the city. 

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is accepting written testimony on Plan Forward until Tuesday, December 9. This is the first holistic update of the County's Comprehensive Plan since it was adopted in 1990. The Planning Commission’s recommended edits across a range of issues including land use and transit priorities are now available here, and you can find the County's current Comprehensive Plan here. 

As your state senator, I plan to introduce legislation in the 2026 session that can build upon the work of our municipalities and expand it. I have been working collaboratively with our local leaders so that we are taking an all-of-government approach to solving the number one issue that I hear about every day from people all over the 37th Senate District: our housing costs are just too high to be sustainable. I look forward to sharing more with you in the months to come.

Trump Watch

Late last month, a federal judge found that the Trump administration's National Guard deployment in Washington D.C. is 'unlawful' and gave 21 days for the administration to withdraw the troops or file an appeal.

This week, another judge ruled that ICE officers operating in the District acted unlawfully in making widespread immigration arrests without warrants or probable cause.

While it is encouraging to see the federal judiciary refusing to go along with Congress in permitting the Trump administration's lawlessness, I will not be satisfied until everyone in our community feels safe, and the truth is we have a long way to go in order to reach that goal.

In addition to the resources linked below, I hope you will reach out to my office at [email protected] if you are dealing with challenges related to federal workforce reductions and are in need of information or assistance.

Traffic & Construction News

The 2.5-mile northern extension of the 495 Express Lanes at the Dulles Toll Road and George Washington Memorial Parkway is now open! Visit ExpressLanes.com/495Extension for more details about the new connections and how to use them. 

This project began construction in 2019, and its completion is expected to bring considerable relief of congestion for Beltway travelers. 495 NEXT project construction will continue into 2026 as crews work on finishing additional upgrades and project elements throughout the corridor.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission is seeking public comments on the draft 2026-2027 Work Plan until December 19th. In addition to its oversight of Metro, NVTC does great work across our region to increase bus, rail, and other options for commuters. 

The victory of Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi leaves her Senate seat vacant - and a Republican victory would create a 20-20 tie. We can't let the momentum we built in the 2025 Virginia Elections go to waste - I need YOUR support to maintain our majority! Please donate today to help fund my part of the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus's campaign to keep this seat.

Upcoming Events

Fairfax Connector Winterfest

Saturday, December 6, 10am-2pm

7039 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield

Santa will greet visitors on a specially decorated Santa Bus! Learn more and get tickets here.

Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce Eggs and Issues

Friday, December 12, 8-10am

4097 Monument Corner Dr, Fairfax

Senator Salim will be a participant in the panel discussion. Learn more and register here.

Building Bridges for Access - A Disability Advocacy Town Hall

Saturday December 13, 10am-12pm

Herndon Middle School

Senator Salim will join several colleagues for a Town Hall event hosted by the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia. Learn more and RSVP here.

Providence Perspectives Premiere

Saturday December 13, 2-3pm

First Baptist Church of Merrifield

Hosted by the Office of Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik. Learn more and register here.

Noint NVTC PRTC and VRE Legislative Forum

Monday December 15, 8:30-11:30am

Ven Metre Hall at George Mason University, Arlington

Learn more and register here.

Senate District 37 Town Hall

Saturday December 20, 10-11:30am

Vienna Town Hall, 127 Center St S

Learn more on Facebook

Commonwealth Spotlight

Every Election Day I enjoy spending time at our polling places, running into friends and meeting new people who are participating in their democracy.

As always it is an honor to continue to represent you.

Sincerely,

Senator Saddam Azlan Salim

Virginia Senate District 37

Democrat for Virginia's Future