Dear Friend,
Summer is wrapping up and schools are re-opening for in-person instruction. It is vital to keep our children safe as we continue to battle COVID-19 and its variants. Governor Northam recently announced a public health emergency order, which requires universal masking in all indoor settings in K-12 schools. Regardless of your vaccination status, please continue to practice mask-wearing, hand washing, and social distancing. If you have not received your COVID-19 vaccine already, I urge you to do so. The Virginia Department of Health continues to keep an updated dashboard of cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and other important information. From the recent data, you can see that more than 98% of current cases are in people who are not fully vaccinated.
If you need a copy of your vaccination record or need to schedule an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov.
Special Session
The General Assembly convened for two weeks for a special session. During the session $4.3 billion in federal coronavirus relief money was allocated toward expanding broadband internet, replenishing the unemployment trust fund, improving ventilation systems in schools, and helping small businesses. Around $1.1 billion was left unappropriated for future funding needs.
Additionally, $125 million was allocated for the Combined Sewer Overflow projects in Richmond ($50M), Alexandria ($50M) and Lynchburg ($25M). While this does not fully fund the City of Richmond’s original request of $883 million, it offers a “plug” to the problem.
As you may have read, the House did not allow for any member-proposed amendments to the House’s proposed budget. This is due to the federal restrictions placed on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, which could only be a one-time allocation and the short and expeditious timeline of the special session. There were no changes to the general fund expenditures as those will be addressed during the upcoming 2022 legislative session.
You can review the budget bill that passed the General Assembly here and you can review coverage of the budget in the Times-Dispatch here.
Additionally, following the expansion of the Court of Appeals, the General Assembly appointed eight new judges. The number of judges increased from 11 to 17 judges to help handle the volume of cases and allow for a right of appeal in all criminal and civil cases. This new cohort of judges brings an historic level of diversity to the Court of Appeals.
The Special Session recessed without adjourning. This means that the General Assembly can return to fill any additional judicial vacancies without the call of the Governor.
During the Special Session, I was proud and excited to bring local reporter, Michael Paul Williams, to the House floor to honor him for his Pulitzer Prize award. I was joined by Senator Jennifer McClellan and Delegate Delores McQuinn. You can read the full commending resolution here. Michael is the third reporter, and the first since 1948, from the Times-Dispatch to receive a Pulitzer Prize. Our Commonwealth is incredibly fortunate to have such talent in journalism.
State Revenue Update
On Wednesday, August 18, Governor Northam and Secretary of Finance Joe Flores provided a revenue update to the Joint Money Committees. The Governor announced a record $2.6 billion budget surplus. Additionally, he shared that the unemployment rate is 4.3% – below the national average of 5.9%. While it is exciting to see such an increase in revenue, it is important to note that much of the surplus has already been allocated. You can read the Governor’s full remarks here and you can watch the archived video here.
Special and Periodic Reports to the General Assembly
Throughout the year, various state boards, commissions, and departments provide special and periodic reports to the General Assembly. They are available for your review here. Reports cover all topics from the budget bill to early childhood mental health statistics to studies on barrier crimes. If you are interested in keeping track of a certain state-level topic, I encourage you to use this resource.
In addition, there is a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which addresses the most updated understanding of the climate system and climate change, explains latest advances in climate science, and more. You can read it here.
South of the James Farmers Market
GrowRVA will host a Sunday South of the James Farmers Market in Forest Hill Park starting on October 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a pilot program and if successful, will continue into the summer season. More information is available here.
School Re-Opening Information
Recently, the Richmond Public Schools’ school board voted to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all RPS staff and any other adults in the school buildings – this includes volunteers and community partners. RPS will open for in-person instruction on September 8 for the first time in more than 500 days. While not full-proof, vaccinations are one of the most effective tools we have to combat the pandemic, and in order to ensure our children are safe during their in-person schooling, this is a necessary step, in addition to mask-wearing.
RPS has a “reopening dashboard” for your review here.
You can read the full text of their health and safety measures for Fall 2021 in-person instruction here.
On August 21, RPS is hosting the 15th annual “We Care” Festival at Overby-Sheppard Elementary School. It is a drive-thru event. There will be food, COVID-19 vaccines, voter registration, and more taking place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Additionally, on August 25, the VCU Alumni Richmond Chapter and Communities in Schools will host their 4th annual Ultimate Backpack Supply Drive at the Diamond. Stop by from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. to donate school supplies for all Richmond area students. For more information, contact Timmy Nguyen at 804-868-0136 or email nguyenth6@vcu.edu.
November Election Reminder
The countdown is on for the November general election. Please start making a plan to vote. Here are some dates to keep in mind:
First day of early voting: September 17
Deadline to register to vote: October 12
Deadline to apply for mail-in ballot: October 22
Election day: November 2
For more information, please visit: vote.elections.virginia.gov
Movies on the Island
Venture Richmond and Dominion Energy are hosting “Movies on the Island” this summer on Brown’s Island. This is a nice opportunity for an outdoor, family-friendly activity. On Saturday, August 21, Black Panther will play at 8:45 p.m., gates open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person, ages 5 and under get in free. Food vendors will be on-site. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit Venture Richmond’s website here.
As always, it is an honor to serve you in the General Assembly. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance to you. I can be reached at delegate.carr@betsycarr.org or 804-698-1169. Currently, I am exploring legislation for the 2022 legislative session and am always available to meet with you and your community groups to hear your concerns and priorities.
Sincerely,
Betsy