General Assembly Session Week 3
The new House of Delegates majority continues to act swiftly and decisively on the issues most important to our constituents.
This third week of the 2020 legislative session was incredibly productive. And, as we continue into week four, our body will continue to keep our promise to voters and deliver results for ALL Virginians.
Passage of Gun Violence Prevention Legislation
This week, the House Committee on Public Safety passed vital gun violence prevention legislation that will help keep guns out of the hands of young children, criminals and individuals at-risk to harm themselves or others.
Our action this week is for the families who have lost loved ones as a result of gun violence, the mothers and fathers who have seen their children’s lives end senselessly at the barrel of a gun, the high school students who should not have to worry when they get on the bus in the morning if they will return home.
Virginians spoke clearly when they went to the polls in November. They had seen enough inaction and too many family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers affected by gun violence. They turned out in record numbers to demand action from the General Assembly to make their communities safer. This week, we delivered by moving forward with bills that will save lives.
Thank you to Chairman Patrick Hope and bill patrons Ken Plum, Jeff Bourne, Marcia Price, Cliff Hayes, Rip Sullivan, Jeion Ward and Mike Mullin for their work in making today’s progress happen.
Click here for additional information on this vital legislation.
The Reproductive Health Protection Act Passes in Committee
On Wednesday, the 47th Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, the House Committee on Courts of Justice passed HB 980, which would remove medically unnecessary restrictions on reproductive health care access, which have no basis in medicine or patient safety.
This includes removing the forced, medically unnecessary ultrasound requirement; state-based counseling, which is often biased; and the 24-hour mandatory delay, which often extends longer for those in under-served communities.
It will also end the Targeted Restrictions of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws, that single out abortion providers and the restriction that blocks qualified Advanced Practice Clinicians (APC) from providing certain reproductive health care services early in pregnancy.
Click here for more information on HB 980, the Reproductive Health Protection Act.
NoVA District PTA and VAPTA
In preparation for their upcoming conference and lobby day, I met with leaders from the Northern Virginia District PTA and Virginia PTA to discuss priorities for our students, teachers and parents during the 2020 General Assembly session.
Among these priorities are the modernization of state staffing standards for support positions in our schools, including improvements to school counselor ratios; support for school building modernization, especially in under-served communities; and support for advancements in career technical education, as well as equity and diversity education.
Thank you to the NoVA PTA, the VAPTA and PTA’s across the Commonwealth for your continuing efforts to improve our public school system, as well as provide our students with an education that will set them up for continued success as adults.
SEIU Lobby Day Dinner
Additionally, on Monday, I was honored to address the hardworking members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Thanks to the HD41 constituents, workers and organizers of SEIU for all that they do on behalf of our families and communities. It was truly an honor to join you in Richmond last week!
It is my privilege to serve in the House of Delegates on your behalf and address the issues that face the 41st District and the Commonwealth as a whole. I look forward to hearing from you or seeing you in Richmond or out-and-about in the 41st District. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need any assistance from my office.