Session is in full swing, and I've had the opportunity to pass several of my bills through committee and some on the Senate floor.

 

My bill SB254, which creates a third-party delivery license for restaurants to deliver alcoholic beverages and cocktails-to-go, passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support. This bill continues the work of my cocktails-to-go bill from 2020 with important safety protections. This program has been a lifeline for struggling restaurants during the pandemic, and I look forward to seeing it pass the House and be signed by the Governor.

 

In addition, my bill SB370, which directs local electoral boards to conduct risk-limiting audits of elections, has reported from the Privileges and Elections committee and has been referred to Finance and Appropriations. Since 2020, many folks have expressed doubt and distrust over our election security, and if passed, this bill will help to assuage those concerns and create a framework for verifying that our elections are accurate and secure.

 

Many of my constituents have emailed and called asking me to oppose the nomination of former Trump EPA chief Andrew Wheeler as Virginia's Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. Mr. Wheeler's nomination was defeated yesterday on the Senate floor, and I voted with my colleagues to defeat it. I hope Governor Youngkin will put forward a new nominee who will take Virginia in the right direction by protecting our air and water, investing in clean energy, and tackling climate change.