Constituent Newsletter - April 11th, 2021

Dear Jack,

I hope you and your family are doing well during these tough times. We'll be sending out weekly Bulletins to update you on all the information you need in the 13th District. Please reach out to my office with any questions or concerns you may have regarding legislation or state policy. If you are having trouble with a state agency, such as the VEC or the DMV, we are happy to assist you and be your advocate. You can call our office at 571-367-9080, or email us at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Senator John J. Bell
Senator of Virginia
13th District

Veto Session -- Marijuana Legalization

This past Wednesday, April 7th, was the reconvene session where we considered the Governor's amendments to various bills. By far the most talked-about amendments were in regards to the marijuana legalization bills, SB1406 and HB2312. The versions of these bills that passed the General Assembly in February would have legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana at the same time that legal sales would begin, on January 1st, 2024. Many, including myself, were unhappy with this, and felt that putting people in jail for something that we all agreed should be legal was unjust. The Governor's substitute bill corrected this, and set the legalization date for July 1st, 2021. This version of the bill narrowly passed the House and Senate, and will become law.

Starting July 1st, it will be legal for Virginians 21 and over to possess up to one ounce of marijuana, or up to four marijuana plants (which must be kept away from children). Smoking marijuana in public, selling marijuana, and driving under the influence will not be legal. In fact, during the veto session, we passed budget amendments that will help train law enforcement to recognize drugged driving, and help educate the public on the risks of using marijuana. In addition, we passed amendments that will help to seal the criminal records for those who have been charged with nonviolent marijuana offenses. The changes that we've made will help to make this a more just and equitable Commonwealth for communities who have traditionally been arrested and punished disproportionately for nonviolent marijuana-related offenses.

Food Drive Reminder

Tomorrow is the last day of our food drive! I am partnering up with former Del. David Ramadan to support the Dulles South Food Pantry. There are so many in our community who are struggling right now during the pandemic, so if you're able, please consider giving food or money. You can drop off food items tomorrow, Monday, April 12th, at the Arcola Fire Department Annex, or you can give money here.

Vaccine Updates

Due to production issues in a Johnson and Johnson factory in Maryland, we are expecting supply issues with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine in the coming weeks. Our allocation for this week is approximately one-tenth of what we were expecting. Our allocations of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are expected to remain steady, but the pace of vaccinations may plateau the next few weeks. However, Virginia is still on track to open vaccinations to all Virginians 16 and over by April 18th. In addition, Dr. Danny Avula predicts that we are still on track to meet our goal of ensuring that every Virginian who wants to be vaccinated will at least have their first dose completed by the end of May. If you haven't already, please register for your vaccine appointment at vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA.

If you qualify for Phase 1b, have pre-registered with the state system or a health department, and have not yet been contacted to schedule a vaccine appointment, either go to vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA to verify and update your information. If your registration is incomplete, it may cause a delay in your appointment being scheduled.

You can view the weekly vaccine dashboard for Loudoun County here, and you can view the vaccine dashboard for Prince William County here.