Friends,

Several new laws, passed recently in the 2021 General Assembly and signed by the Governor in the Spring, go into effect today, July 1. I’ll highlight a few of these new regulations and policies:

Marijuana
Simple possession of marijuana is now legal for those who are 21 years of age or older. This first step will help to undo generations of overly harsh and unfair incarceration policies that have had a disproportionate impact on Black and brown communities.

Simple possession is not the same as full legalization; the regulatory structure for full legalization and oversight authority must still be established, and this framework will occur over the next three years. In this light, individual buying, selling, or distributing marijuana remains illegal for the time being in the Commonwealth.

For more information and details about the new policies, I encourage interested individuals to review the information shared by state officials.

The End of the Death Penalty and Mandated Jury Sentencing
Virginia has now abolished the death penalty. In the past several decades, Virginia ranked second in the nation (just behind Texas) as the most prolific death-penalty state. This punishment has long been applied disproportionately to low-income and minority communities, creating an unfair justice system.

Additionally, individuals who are convicted in jury trials now have the option to be sentenced by a judge rather than by a jury. This option has been allowed in every other state, except Kentucky, and now Virginia is on track for fairer sentencing. Advocates have long argued, with supportive data, that jury sentencing tends to be harsher than sentencing presented by judges, and this reality has often pressured people into accepting unfavorable plea deals — sometimes for crimes that they did not commit — because of the threat of jury sentences.

New Voting Rights
Several new voting rights have been enacted in the Commonwealth. The landmark Voting Rights Act of Virginia provides comprehensive protections against voter suppression, discrimination, or intimidation. The Voting Rights Act of Virginia prohibits discrimination in elections administration, requires local election officials to obtain feedback or pre-approval for voting changes, and allows individuals to sue in cases of voter suppression. It also requires localities to seek public comment or pre-approval from the Office of the Attorney General on any proposed voting changes, and empowers voters and/or the Attorney General to sue in cases of voter suppression. Additionally, the Voting Rights Act of Virginia prohibits at-large local elections if they dilute the voting power of racial minorities.

Additional voting rights expansions include the following:

• Expanded days for no-excuse early voting
• The waiving of the requirement for witness signature
• Availability of secure ballot drop boxes at polling locations
• Permitting 16 and 17 year-olds to pre-register to vote so that they are automatically registered Virginia voters once they turn 18

Increased Access to Higher Education
Low- and middle-income Virginians who are pursuing jobs and career opportunities in critical, high-demand fields can attend community college for free through the new G3 Program. G3 stands for “Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back.” As more Virginians seek new options in a post-pandemic economy, this program provides enhanced access to educational resources through the 23 community colleges available across the Commonwealth. More information is located through Virginia’s Community Colleges.

Expanded Dental Care
Adults within the Medicaid program can now receive dental care. Until now, the program covered only children and pregnant women, or emergency tooth extractions for adults. Dental health is essential to overall health, and this expansion of coverage is a critical step. This expanded coverage affects more than 750,000 Virginians.

Several other laws are going into effect today, and we will continue to highlight and share these policies and regulations.

Wishing you a safe and fun holiday weekend
As we head into the Fourth of July holiday weekend, I hope that you and your family enjoy the time together. Many localities will be offering fireworks again this year, and we certainly encourage everyone to celebrate safely as we enjoy Independence Day 2021.

Contacting our office
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. Email is the best way to contact us. We can be reached at [email protected].

— Ghazala Hashmi