Friends,

Before I dive into some updates on our work in the General Assembly and around the Commonwealth, I want to send best wishes from my husband Azhar and myself to the Governor and Mrs. Northam.

Their recent diagnosis of COVID-19 is concerning for all of us. We hope they both recover quickly and completely; I thank the Governor for his continued leadership through this crisis.

Budget update
I’m pleased to share with you that both the House and the Senate are advancing their budget bills this week. The full Senate will offer its review of the budget amendments proposed by the Governor and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee and vote on the budget this Friday.

Remember, you can always follow all legislation, view all committee meetings and floor sessions, and stay in touch with your representatives by visiting https://lis.virginia.gov/.

Voting in Virginia 
Early voting began in the Commonwealth on September 18, and so far over 100,000 Virginians have cast their ballots. This is already more than one-third of the total ballots cast during the 2016 election.

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many voters are planning to vote by absentee ballot, and the Virginia Department of Elections has reported that 884,032 voters have been issued their ballots. That’s nearly more than three times the number of ballots requested in 2016!

I’m proud of our community for stepping up and heeding the call to participate in this year’s election. In addition to our Presidential race, Senior Senator Mark Warner is on the ballot this year, and we have several pivotal Congressional races in or near District 10, including those of Abigail Spanberger, Cameron Webb, and Qasim Rashid. Here are some key dates for Virginia voters:

• Early voting closes Saturday, October 31, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live.
• You can vote early, in-person at your local registrar’s office.
• Tuesday, October 13, is the deadline to register to vote or to update an existing registration. Please make sure your information is up to date.
• In order to vote at the registrar’s office or satellite voting location, please make sure you have a form of ID to verify your name and address. To find a complete list of acceptable IDs, please visit the Virginia Department of Elections Voting In-Person website.
• Election Day itself is Tuesday, November 3. Be sure to cast your ballot on or before that day.
• More information is located on our Department of Elections website.

Community engagement
Our community efforts continue to be central in their importance. Here are some highlights from my calendar in recent weeks:

• On September 13, I spoke with the Cumberland County Landfill Association about the legislative steps we will be taking in 2021 to safeguard our communities from the environmental and historical damage posed by the mega-landfill that has been proposed for the county. This landfill borders Powhatan County, and my efforts are a response to the outreach of several constituent groups throughout District 10 and in Cumberland County.
   
• This past Sunday, I joined a vigil via Zoom for Breonna Taylor. Breonna Taylor was only 26 years old when she was shot and killed by police officers during an erroneous raid on her home in the middle of the night. No one has been held accountable for her death. Major metropolitan areas throughout the country have banned no-knock search warrants — the kind of warrant issued in the case that led to Breonna’s death.
  
  This event was an opportunity for community members not only to grieve but to share in healing over the trauma of another painful loss that is unaccompanied by justice. Virginia may soon join the list of states to ban the practice of no-knock search warrants, as a result of legislation emerging from Special Session.
   
• Additionally this week, a handful of legislators of Indian-descent gathered on a nationwide Zoom session to discuss our shared experiences in running and serving in political office.
  
  We also discussed how our diverse faiths (Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim) helped to initiate our decisions to run, and how the common thread of fighting for social justice and advocating for the voiceless is so much a part of our faith traditions. Through our discussion, some common stories emerged about immigration, growing up with a passionate engagement for our local communities, and how we each sought out public service in order to focus on justice, equity, and opportunities for the people we represent.
   
• My staff and I have also begun to shift our attention to the 2021 General Assembly and to our desire to focus on youth-driven policy concerns. Last week, I endorsed the amazing work of The Greater Good Initiative, a youth-led policy think-tank with the mission of promoting youth engagement and mobilization in the policymaking process. My office is also working with Mason 4 Survivors and Every Voice Coalition on addressing concerns with Title IX implementation at colleges and universities. Additionally, this Friday, I will engage in a two-hour seminar with Mt. Holyoke College students pursuing degrees in government and public policy.

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