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Dear friends,
In our fourth week of this session, the ice on Capitol Square has begun to melt, and just in time for a historic visit [[link removed]] .
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Earlier this week, a group of Buddhist monks came to Richmond on the 100th day of their cross-country walk for peace. I was honored to be part of the delegation from the General Assembly that greeted them at City Hall, presented them with a commending resolution, and wished them well as their journey continues.
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At a time when partisan tensions continue to rise, this visit meant a lot to many people, as evidenced by the thousands who came to Richmond to see the monks, and to walk with them for a little while. From here, they are walking to Washington D.C. [[link removed]] , so I hope you will have the opportunity to witness them as I have.
Affordable Housing
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I know from personal experience how tough it can be to find affordable housing in our area, and I have heard the same from many of you. For that reason I brought two bills this year seeking to put downward pressure on the cost of housing.
SB354 [[link removed]] abolishes minimum parking requirements for new construction and redevelopment. This would not have removed any existing parking, but would have allowed the market to determine how much parking should be built for any new development. It had support from the Commonwealth Housing Coalition as well as Mayor Hardi of Falls Church, but unfortunately it did not get enough support from my colleagues to report out of the Local Government committee.
Fortunately, my other bill did! SB717 [[link removed]] directs localities to increase housing density near mass transit hubs like train stations and bus routes, up to 6 stories and 30 units per acre within a quarter mile of a hub, and allows 2 units per lot and 4 units per corner lot from a quarter mile to one mile. I worked with the City of Falls Church and the Coalition for Smart Growth to refine this bill, and will continue to do so as this bill continues through the legislative process. SB717 [[link removed]] reported out of the Local Government committee on Monday and passed the full Senate on its third reading on Thursday!
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Islamophobia is a Hate Crime
One of my bills got some unexpected publicity this week when MAGA political activist Laura Loomer tweeted [[link removed]] about SB624 [[link removed]] , my bill to add a definition of ' Islamophobia [[link removed]] ' to the existing code for identification of hate crimes.
You may be asking why this is necessary, as the Code of Virginia currently defines a hate crime as a criminal act committed with the specific intent of intimidating the individual against whom the act is perpetrated because of their religion. Yet we have seen acts committed in our community which demonstrate the need for legislation.
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When a man is arrested on two separate occasions for verbally assaulting women outside a mosque and chasing them with a metal pole, and no hate crime charges are filed, it is clear that these laws are not working as intended.
Two years ago, the Biden administration issued a report [[link removed]] on Islamophobia that identified this problem. In many cases, people of Arabic or South Asian descent are on the receiving end of this kind of attack, even though they are not in fact Muslim. In criminal law, it is usually the intent of the assailant that dictates the crimes they can be charged with, so I believe it is wrong for a person intending to intimidate Muslims to escape a hate crime charge because the person they attacked is not religious.
Since that tweet went out, I have received an increase in hateful messages by phone and email. My staff and I are not intimidated - and we will continue to look for ways to close this loophole.
Trump Watch
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In recent news, Trump is telling America to "move on" [[link removed]] from the Epstein Files. Considering his name showed up around 6,000 times within the files, it is not something that easy to "move on" from. Many Democrats have called for full disclosure of the files, and for the investigation of Trump's involvement.
Additionally, Congressional Democrats have pledged to subpoena Trump and other members who may have ties to the files. But, they have not successfully done so.
In addition to the resources linked below, I hope you will reach out to my office at [email protected] [[email protected]] if you are dealing with challenges related to federal workforce reductions or other Trump administration efforts and are in need of information or assistance.
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Legislative Agenda Update
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SB63 [[link removed]] , SB82 [[link removed]] , SB89 [[link removed]] , SB351, [[link removed]] SB581 [[link removed]] , SB582 [[link removed]] , SB583 [[link removed]] , SB586 [[link removed]] , SB589 [[link removed]] , and SB717 [[link removed]] have passed the Senate and crossed over to the House of Delegates.
[[link removed]] SB352 [[link removed]] , [[link removed]] SB489 [[link removed]] , SB670 [[link removed]] , and SB749 [[link removed]] have passed the Senate Finance Committee and advanced to the Senate floor, where they will be voted on by the full Senate early next week.
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SB586 passed out of the Senate committee of Commerce and Labor this week.
SB585 [[link removed]] , a bill to require notification to consumers when corporations use algorithmic or dynamic pricing, failed to report out of the Housing subcommittee of General Laws, but the Chair of the Committee has sent a letter to the Virginia Housing Commission to study the bill and make recommendations for next year. I look forward to working with them over the interim to reign in these pricing practices that are causing higher prices across the economy.
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Speaking on SB585 [[link removed]] in Senate General Laws and Technology, Housing Subcommittee.
District 37 Events!
This upcoming weekend begins our Pre-Crossover Town Halls in Senate District 37! Come and join conversation about the start of the 2026 General Assembly session in the Town of Vienna , Town of Falls Church , and City of Fairfax . Check out the flyers below with dates and times of the events.
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Town of Vienna "Town Hall and Legislative Update" with Delegate Holly Seibold this Saturday, February 7th from 9:30AM to 11:30AM.
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Town of Falls Church "Town Hall and Legislative Update" with Delegate Marcus Simon this Saturday, February 7th from 1:00PM to 3:00PM.
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City of Fairfax "Town Hall and Legislative Update" with Delegate Gretchen Bulova on Saturday, February 14th from 9:00AM to 11:00AM.
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Community Conversations on Housing - February 24th
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Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik is excited to host the first of many Community Conversations [[link removed]] . This new program allows neighbors to collectively engage with some of the most pressing policy challenges our region faces—with the first series focusing on housing.
Supervisor Palchik hopes to have diversity in thought, life experience, and housing status. The diversity of perspectives and lived experiences will help shape a stronger community! Residents who rent, own, and are facing housing insecurity.
The event is on Tuesday, February 24, from 6pm-8pm at the Jim Scott Community Center (3001 Vaden Dr. Fairfax, VA). RSVP on Eventbrite [[link removed]] .
Commonwealth Spotlight
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SB717 [[link removed]] requires localities to provide at least one or more transit oriented districts in qualifying areas to promote the construction of higher density housing. This bill prioritizes accessibility to transit hubs, such as train stations and bus stops, in a locality to ensure that affordable housing is obtainable within a one mile radius of a public transit hub. This bill passed the Senate with a vote of 21 to 19.
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Pictured: Faith Alliance on Climate Group