Dear Friend,
I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and well. I wanted to provide you with a few updates at the General Assembly as well as new COVID-19 resources, the annual sales tax holiday, and other helpful information.
Special Session
On August 18th, the House and Senate money committees will meet for a report on the budget from the Governor at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be virtual and live-streamed for the public. I encourage you to watch it.
Following the joint money committee meeting, the General Assembly will convene for a special session focusing on the budget as well as criminal justice reform. The House Speaker, Eileen Filler-Corn, recently announced that the House will meet at the VCU Siegel Center for session in order to adhere to appropriate social distancing guidelines.
Session will be live-streamed for the public and space will be available on-site for the media. Subsequent individual committee meetings will be held virtually and live-streamed. The Capitol and Pocahontas Buildings are closed to the public until October 1.
Joint Courts of Justice & Public Safety Meetings
In order to inform General Assembly members on current criminal justice reform topics, the House Courts of Justice and Public Safety committees have met three times during July and August. Topics have covered no-knock warrants, civilian review boards, mandatory minimums, law enforcement policies, and use of force. You can viewed the archived videos here.
Rebuild VA
Beginning August 10, applications will be available for businesses and nonprofits to apply for the Rebuild VA Small Business Grant Program. The grant will help with normal operations that have been disrupted by COVID-19. You can find out more information regarding eligibility, covered expenses, and how to submit an application athttps://www.governor.virginia.gov/rebuildva/.
Eviction Crisis
Virginia’s previous moratorium on evictions expired on June 29 and while the Governor has requested that the Supreme Court of Virginia suspend evictions through September, the Court has not responded. Pairing this with the ending of the federal unemployment supplement, Virginia now has more than 6,000 eviction cases. This is a serious concern and I hope the General Assembly is able to address the eviction crisis during the Special Session. In the meantime, here are few resources if you or someone you know is having trouble paying their rent:
Virginia Poverty Law Center’s Housing Resources (includes protections for tenants, unlawful eviction toolkit, how to ask landlord to postpone rent payment, and other resources)
Eviction Legal Helpline: 833-NOEVICT (833-663-8428)
COVIDWISE App
The Commonwealth is the first state in the country to implement a free COVID-19 exposure notification app using Apple and Google’s Bluetooth Low Energy framework. The app is called COVIDWISE and allows you to anonymously notify others if you test positive for COVID-19 and also notifies you if you’ve likely been exposed to the virus based on positive reports from other app users. The app is easy to use, protects your privacy, and helps secure the health and safety of our communities. It is available in both English and Spanish.
No location data or personal information is ever collected, stored, or transmitted via COVIDWISE. The app is 100% voluntary and you can delete it at any time.
Here’s how you can download the app and help spread the word:
Visit the App Store or Google Play Store to download COVIDWISE
Share information about COVIDWISE with your friends, co-workers, and family members
Post & share your support on social media
Free COVID-19 Testing
Friday, August 7th, Hotchkiss Field Community Center (701 E. Brookland Park Boulevard), 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Rain or shine
Tuesday, August 11th, Broad Rock Community Center (4615 Ferguson Lane), 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Rain or shine
Thursday, August 13th, Tuckahoe Middle School (9000 Three Chopt Road), 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Rain or shine
Ultimate Backpack Supply Drive
Richmond Public Schools in partnership with VCU is hosting their third annual “Ultimate Backpack Supply Drive” at The Diamond (3001 N. Arthur Ashe Boulevard) on Wednesday, August 26 from 2:00 – 7:00 p.m. They are collecting the following supplies:
Backpacks, laptop sleeves, earbuds, loose-leaf paper, black and blue pens, 1- and 3-inch binders, #2 pencils, composition notebooks, glue sticks, highlighters, markers, index cards, colored pencils, crayons
Additionally, there is a goal to provide 15,000 PPE kits to children. Contact Timmy Nguyen with any questions or concerns atnguyenth6@mymail.vcu.edu
Sales Tax Holiday
This weekend, August 7-9, is Virginia’s annual sales tax holiday weekend. This is a great opportunity to stock up on school supplies and emergency preparedness products as well as Energy Star and WaterSense products without paying sales tax.
Eligible items:
School supplies, clothing, and footwear
Qualified school supplies - $20 or less per item
Qualified clothing and footwear - $100 or less per item
Hurricane and emergency preparedness products
Portable generators - $1,000 or less per item
Gas-powered chainsaws - $350 or less per item
Chainsaw accessories - $60 or less per item
Other specified hurricane preparedness items - $60 or less per item
Energy Star and WaterSense products
Qualifying products purchased for noncommercial home or personal use - $2,500 or less per item
For a detailed list of qualifying items and more information, click here.
It is an honor to serve you in the General Assembly. If you have any questions, concerns, or issues that I can help address, please email me at delegate.carr@betsycarr.org or 804-698-1169. Additionally, I am available to meet with you or your civic association or community group via a web call to discuss your legislative priorities. I look forward to staying in touch.
Sincerely,
Betsy B. Carr