Friends,

Last Friday, August 28, I had the honor of opening that day’s Special Session by delivering the morning invocation. The words I shared came from Surah an Nur (the Verse of Light) located in the Holy Qur’an:

Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim
In the name of our Creator, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

God is the Light
of the heavens and of the earth.
His Light is like a niche that houses a lamp;
the lamp is held safe inside a crystal,
which shines as if it is a pearl, a radiant star,
lit from the oil of a blessed olive tree
that is neither of the east nor of the west.
The oil itself is illuminous, though no fire touches it.
Light upon light!
God guides to His Light whom He wills.
God provides parables for all people
To reveal truth to those who seek it and
To conceal the truth from those who are indifferent
God has full knowledge of all things.

May our divine Creator grant us light, grant us compassion, grant us mercy and grace
That we may seek truth through these times.

Aameen

The video of the invocation is available here, under the August 28 session from 10 AM.

Criminal Justice Reform
Criminal justice and policing reforms are a key focus during this Special Session, and we are working together to find new ways to protect all members of our community. Last week, the Senate passed legislation that addresses the disproportionate impacts of policing on communities of color and on individuals struggling with mental health.

The Senate voted to pass SB 5032, a bill that eliminates the mandatory minimum sentencing, allowing greater flexibility to courts and juries as they consider punishment. This bill targets those instances in which “the degree of culpability is slight, due to such person's diminished physical or mental capacity or pervasive developmental disorder, or if there is no bodily injury” to the police officer. The allowance of discretion in sentencing provides courts the ability especially to protect children with autism or others with developmental disorders whose involuntary physical reactions in times of stress have led to felony charges, despite their medical and mental conditions. The bill also ensures that the malicious wounding statute remains strong.

The Senate also passed SB 5029, a bill that o addresses racial profiling. The bill prohibits search and seizures based solely on the odor of marijuana. Nationwide research demonstrates that minority communities are more likely to be stopped and searched on the basis of minor equipment violations or because of the “smell of marijuana.” This legislation is an important step towards eliminating racial profiling in traffic stops.

Access to Voting
With the election less than two months away (and ballots dropping in just two weeks in Virginia), it’s critical that we ensure voters have the ability and knowledge necessary to cast their ballots safely. On Friday, the Senate passed SB 5120, a bill that provides localities the funding for prepaid postage for mail-in ballots, allows registrars to set up dropboxes for early voters, and clarifies guidelines for what renders a ballot invalid.

We are working to ensure that our November election will be fully funded and that every Virginian will be able to cast their ballot safely and securely.

Housing protection
Lastly, my eviction moratorium bill, SB 5051, was reported on a bipartisan vote out of the Senate General Laws & Technology Committee and referred to the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee.

This bill seeks to safeguard the tens of thousands of households that are facing eviction in the next few months by providing rental assistance and relief through federal and state monies. Landlords are protected, too, by the Rent and Mortgage Relief Program which allows landlords and tenants to file for assistance, recovering 100% of the rent if they qualify. During a pandemic, when we know that people are “safer at home,” it’s vital that we keep families, and especially children, safe in stable housing.

We continue to work on seeing this bill through Committees and towards a vote on the Senate Floor.

As always, if you need assistance or if you want to schedule a Zoom or phone call with our team, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. As a reminder, email is the best way to contact us. We can be reached at [email protected].

-- Ghazala