Constituent Newsletter - February 21st, 2022

Dear Jack,

I hope you and your family are doing well during these tough times. We send out the Bell Bulletin 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

2022 Session Update: Crossover

It's hard to believe that this session has already passed its halfway point! Last week was Crossover -- the halfway point of session where both bodies of the General Assembly finish passing their own bills. The Senate is now taking up House bills, and the House is taking up Senate bills. I'm proud that 15 of my 21 bills successfully passed through the Senate. Some of the highlights:

SB 254: This bill creates a third-party licensure for alcoholic beverage deliveries, as well as extending the cocktails-to-go program until at least June 2024. This bill was created as a lifeline to our struggling restaurants, bars, and hospitality businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic continues, we want to ensure that the restaurants we love are still here for years to come.

SB 256: This bill would authorize the Department of Military Affairs to use grant funding to recruit qualified applicants for service in the Virginia National Guard. The Referral Enlistment program would allow recruiters to receive bonuses for successful recruitment, and ensures that we have a robust National Guard ready to serve when they’re needed most.

SB 394, 399, 401: These bills work to reform charitable gaming in Virginia. If passed, they will help to enforce illegal gaming laws and create a Charitable Gaming Fund to receive penalties from bad actors who are illegally enriching themselves through charitable gaming. Our goal is to protect legitimate charities and ensure the bad actors aren’t taking away from the good that they are doing.

SB 463: This bill would forbid political candidates from using campaign funds for personal use, including mortgage/rent, personal travel, and tuition. I expect many Virginians will be surprised to find that this is not already illegal! I have long been a proponent of campaign finance reform, and this is an essential and common sense part of fixing our system. Virginians should be able to trust that lobbyists and special interests are not lining the pockets of their representatives and that candidates are not personally profiting from running for office.

Masks in Schools

There has been a great deal of talk on the topic of mandatory masking in schools. SB739, carried by Sen. Chap Petersen and Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, passed the House and Senate and was signed into law last week. This bill allows parents to opt their children out of local mask mandates in schools, which effectively ends masking mandates in schools. The Governor's emergency clause puts this bill into effect starting on March 1st. While I was initially supportive of Sen. Petersen's amendment, believing it would not take effect until next year, I ultimately voted against this bill and the emergency clause. I believe it's too soon to lift the mandates, and the bill lacks necessary guardrails built into it. That said, the bill passed 21-19 in the Senate and 52-48 in the House, and will go into effect March 1st.

Due to a recent Circuit Court decision, LCPS is now masks-optional. Before making a decision on whether to have your child wear a mask to school, I encourage you to look at local and national COVID numbers, and follow health experts' recommendations regarding masking.

COVID-19 in Virginia by Locality

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