The 2017 General Assembly adjourned sine die Saturday, completing our work on time. However, before I highlight some of our work this session, I want to take a moment to thank Speaker Howell for his years of public service to the Commonwealth. The Speaker announced his retirement last week. Speaker Howell has served honorably, placing […]
We are now one week away from the scheduled end of our 45-day legislative session. This week was a productive week for the House of Delegates. We are finishing committee work, reviewing amendments from the Senate, and continuing to work on the budget. We have also started the process of packing up our General Assembly […]
This past week we reached the official half way point of session known as “crossover.” As of Wednesday, the House is only hearing bills from the Senate with the exception of the budget, which was taken up Thursday – more on that later. The highlight of the week was undoubtedly a center aisle presentation in honor […]
We have now completed 24 of the 46 days of the 2017 session. On Sunday the committees responsible for the budget bills will unveil their complete proposals. Two important deadlines will happen next week. Tuesday is Crossover, the deadline with which each chamber must complete work on bills that originated in their chamber. Thursday the […]
Moving into the 3rd week of session, the Capitol has seen record numbers of visitors. Daily attendance by the public has consistently been over 4,500 people a day. I’ve enjoyed meeting with so many different groups and individuals that are engaged in the political process. The local folks that stopped by my office this week […]
Today was a historic day for our nation, yet amazingly it was also the norm. For the 25th time in American history, power transferred from one political party to another, yet it was done peacefully and cooperatively. While it is the standard in our nation, we cannot take it for granted or dismiss the significance. […]
The 2017 General Assembly session officially got under way at noon on Wednesday, January 11. Even though this year is a short session, we will still be making adjustments to our biennial budget and working to enact policy that strengthens Virginia’s economy, improves our schools, and provides healthcare services to the most in need, without […]
We are now working from our Richmond office for the duration of the 2017 General Assembly Session. Session is scheduled to end on February 25. I welcome and encourage you to reach out to my office if you would like to voice your opinion on legislation. If you are experiencing a problem with a state […]
If you have not already done so, please take time to complete my annual legislative survey online. This is one of several ways I gain your feedback on issues the General Assembly may address in the upcoming session. While we do our best to cover a large sampling of topics, there is simply no way […]
Ballot Question One – Right to Work: “Should Article I of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to prohibit any agreement or combination between an employer and a labor union or labor organization whereby (i) nonmembers of the union or organization are denied the right to work for the employer, (ii) membership to the union […]