Dear Friend,
I hope you and your loved ones had an enjoyable holiday time and are enjoying the new year so far. As we begin 2022, there is much to discuss - the legislative session, bill priorities, COVID updates, winter weather, and more.
As we have seen over the last week, winter is here. Please take precautions for more winter storms this season. It is important to heed weather warnings and avoid unnecessary travel. If you do have to travel, be prepared. Learn more about how you can prepare for winter storms, possible power outages, and poor road conditions here.
2022 Legislative Session
The legislative session begins in-person on Wednesday, January 12 and will continue for 60 days. This session is longer than the 45-day session in odd years because the General Assembly is tasked with passing a new budget for the biennium. While it has not been formally announced, I hope and expect to continue serving on the Appropriations, General Laws, Transportation, and Rules committees.
You can watch session at noon each day via livestream (committees and subcommittees) here.
Review bills and meeting schedule here on LIS.
COVID Policies and Procedures during Session
As we all know, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is very contagious and affecting many Virginians. In order to ensure the health and safety of visitors, the House of Delegates released their policies and procedures, which you can read here. Additionally, I have several policies and protocols in place.
If you’ve visited the General Assembly during session before, you know the trouble it takes to find parking, navigate the busy halls of the Pocahontas Building, and that illnesses (colds, flu, strep, etc.) abound. While I highly encourage you to meet virtually, my staff and I are available to meet with you at the Pocahontas Building.
Please note that all meetings with me and/or my staff will require wearing your mask as well as providing proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status. You can email a copy of your vaccine card (or QR code from the Department of Health) ahead of time to delegate.carr@betsycarr.org or bring it with you to the office. KN95 masks will be available for your use, if needed, upon entry into the Pocahontas Building.
I look forward to hearing from you and learning about your legislative priorities. Please email delegate.carr@betsycarr.org to schedule an appointment.
Staff for Session
I am pleased to have a vibrant group of staff and interns join me during the legislative session. Olivia Garrett continues as Chief of Staff of my office for her seventh legislative session and Luke Sweeney, a recent graduate of William & Mary, joined as my legislative aide this fall. Additionally, I have interns from Virginia Union University, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Richmond, Randolph Macon College, and Hollins University.
Bill Priorities
Over the course of the past year, I have heard about many transportation, housing, and unemployment related issues impacting constituents across my district and the Richmond community. To address these issues, I plan to introduce and support the following bills:
Transportation
Photo Speed Monitoring in residential, business, parks, and bridge areas
Noise level limitations on exhaust systems (or “macho mufflers” as I have heard them referred)
Clarifying “vulnerable road user” to differentiate between when a negligent driver hits an inanimate object versus a human being
Addressing catalytic converter theft
Housing
Long Term Own Occupancy Program (LOOP) will be a constitutional amendment. As many of you know, real estate assessments have dramatically increased in the Central Virginia region over the last several years. Escalating assessments are important for the creation of familial wealth, but the accompanying escalation of property tax bills can put long time property owners at risk of displacement. To prevent this and encourage the creation of intergenerational, familial wealth, LOOP caps the property owner’s tax assessment at a specific percentage during the initial application process and locks in the tax assessment of the application year. Other cities such as Philadelphia and Washington, DC, have implemented LOOP programs, which are used as models for the legislation.
Authorizing the City of Richmond to establish an inclusionary zoning ordinance to mandate a specific number of affordable housing units within a development. The share of low- and middle-income renters with cost burdens is increasing in the City as the median rent has reached a record high. Many workers cannot afford most available market-rate rental units and even though the rental stock is increasing, most new additions are not considered affordable to Richmond residents.
Allowing industrial and economic development authorities to issue grants or engage in activities for the development of housing. This will provide our community with yet another tool in the toolbox to address our housing needs.
Unemployment
The pandemic put many workers temporarily or permanently out of work and the result shed light on the drastic need for change in our unemployment benefits system. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), of which I am a member, released an exhaustive report (you can read all 200 pages here) along with legislative recommendations, three of which I will introduce:
Requiring the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) to develop and maintain an unemployment insurance (UI) resiliency plan that describes the specific actions the agency would take to address staffing, communications, and other relevant aspects of operations to ensure continued efficient and effective administration of the UI program.
Creating a subcommittee of the Commission on Unemployment Compensation to monitor the VEC’s key performance metrics related to UI backlogs, efforts to identify, prevent, and recover incorrect UI benefits payments, project to modernize UI IT system, expenditure of state funds appropriated for UI administration, and implementation of JLARC recommendations
Specifying that non-valid unemployment insurance claims resulting from monetary ineligibility are ineligible for appeal through the VEC’s appeals divisions
Other Important Bills
Extended Producer Responsibility: Putting the responsibility of plastic and other recycling on the producers rather than the consumer
No Child Left Inside: Promoting outdoor STEM education in elementary schools
Nursing Home Staffing: Protecting our elderly community in nursing homes by ensuring that nursing homes are adequately staffed
Language development for deaf or hard-of-hearing children: Providing select language milestones to families and the state agencies that work with them to ensure children’s language acquisition can be adequately supported and monitored during critical years of their development.
Throughout the fall and winter seasons, I have enjoyed meeting with and learning about the priorities of many organizations and advocacy groups such as architects, engineers, the Jewish Community, health care professionals, realtors, homebuilders, military officers, members of the Farm Bureau, business and technology leaders, educators, members of arts and cultural institutions, and more. In addition, in a recent meeting with constituents and friends, concerns were voiced about water quality, combined sewer overflow, other environmental issues, charter schools, evictions, and intermodal and green transit. I look forward to staying in touch during session regarding your legislative priorities.
Governor’s Proposed Budget
Throughout December, Governor Northam did a “Thank You” tour across the Commonwealth and made several budget announcements. He also presented his budget to the Joint Money Committee on December 16, 2021. You can watch the recording here or you can read his remarks here.
Record Financial Reserves
$3.8 billion in financial reserves
Closed the fiscal year 2021 with a record surplus of $2.6 billion.
Virginia has also preserved a AAA bond rating since 1938.
Investing in People
10% pay increase for teachers (5% in each of the next two years); with local matching funds, Virginia teacher pay will exceed the national average
Raising starting salaries by 7.7% for public safety officials
$97 million to address salary compression within Virginia State Police, Sheriffs’ offices, regional jails, and the Department of Corrections
10% pay raises for all state employees over the next two years
Behavioral Health
$164 million to give pay raises to direct care staff in our state hospitals and training centers
$263 million for community-based services to individuals with behavioral health needs
$675 million to strengthen community-based services and provide for greater eligibility for Medicaid waiver services for people with developmental disabilities
K-12 Education
$2.4 billion in new general fund spending for pre-k through 12 education
$73 million each year to increase the Child Care Development Fund
$268 million increased funding for supporting at-risk students
Environment and Outdoor Recreation
$286 million to fully fund the Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund
$165 million to support cities like Richmond to address their combined sewer overflow projects
$15 million to enhance the Virginia Land Conservation Fund and Farmland Preservation Programs
$233 million investment in multi-use trails. This will help cover expansions and improvements to existing trails as well as support new and developing trails like the Fall Line trail in Central Virginia
Higher Education
$297 million in funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) including creating the HBCU Opportunity Fund
Increasing the Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) from $4,000 to $5,000 per student over the next two years
$38 million in additional investments to the G3 program that provides tuition-free community college for low- and middle-income students
Tax Reductions for Working Virginians
Eliminating the 1.5% state sales tax on food
One time tax rebates to Virginians - $250 for individuals and $500 for married couples
Eliminating sales tax on menstrual products
Governor’s Order - Consultation with Tribal Governments
On November 18, 2021, Governor Northam signed an executive order that requires state agencies to formally consult tribal governments who may be impacted by development projects. This order will allow the tribal nations to engage agencies when projects may impact their lands and waterways and should allow better discourse when projects threaten to impact important sites like burial grounds or sacred areas. Tribal leadership will not be able to veto the projects; however, this order establishes formal lines of communication between tribes and relevant agencies. As part of the order, Governor Northam assigned the Secretary of the Commonwealth to designate an Ombudsman for Tribal Consultation to work within the office and coordinate agency communications with the tribal nations. On a similar note, Northam also gave the relevant state agencies until February 16, 2022 to form a tribal consultation policy to ensure tribes have an opportunity to give meaningful input. The order gives guidance that federal agencies, like the EPA, should engage the impacted tribal governments as well.
The executive order is an important milestone to expand the Tribal Nations’ sovereignty over their lands. The arrangement is the first of its kind in the nation. You can read the executive order and see which state agencies will be impacted here.
Marcus Alert Now Operational
The new “Marcus Alert” system is now operational in the City of Richmond. This system is designed to give those in crisis the help they need from dedicated professionals. When an alert is triggered, a mental health team will be dispatched to the individual in crisis.
The new alert system is still currently a pilot program and is only available in Richmond, Virginia Beach, Prince William County, Bristol, and Washington County. It will be available statewide by July 1, 2026. For now, the alert can be triggered through dialing 911; however, come July 2022, a new 988 hotline will be set-up to house a variety of mental health crisis services.
Monument Avenue
In December, the removal of the pedestal for the Robert E. Lee monument began. The pedestal gained national attention for its importance as protest art. Following its disassembly, the Lee pedestal will be given to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, along with the other confederate monuments that were recently removed. The monuments were transferred to the City from the Commonwealth. The City will retain control of the traffic circles that housed the monuments and continue its plan to reimagine Monument Avenue.
During the removal process of the Lee pedestal, two Confederate Era time capsules were recovered: One containing Masonic artifacts from the group who designed the monument and another containing mundane artifacts from the day and Confederate memorabilia. Many had speculated that the capsule would contain a rare photograph of President Abraham Lincoln lying in his coffin, but the newspaper image inside was of a woman mourning next to the casket.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Monuments Project is awarding Dustin Klein and Alex Criqui with a $670,000 grant for public light based art projects. Klein and Criqui are the two local projectionists who casted digital art on the former Robert E. Lee statue and the Valentine Museum. The two plan to use the grant to create temporary art displays around the area that bring awareness to social and racial justice issues.
Virginia Mortgage Relief Program
On January 3rd, the Mortgage Relief Program began accepting applications. The program is designed to use Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to help those at risk of losing their homes due to the potent effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had. To be eligible, homeowners must currently own and live in the address as their primary residence and have either a decrease in income or an increase in their cost of living.
The Rent Relief Program has provided more than $500 million to over 76,000 households and has been a role model program for housing relief. The Mortgage Relief Program looks to build on this and make use of an additional $258 million that Virginia received from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Homeowners Assistance Fund.
Tips to Continue Staying Healthy during the Pandemic
Provided by Governor Northam
It’s a good idea to stay away from people who have not gotten their shots.
It’s a good idea to wear a mask when you’re around other people, especially if you don’t know whether they have been vaccinated.
If you have not gotten a booster shot, now is the time to do it. Shots are widely available at pharmacies, doctor’s offices, and local health departments all across Virginia.
If you have children age five and above, now is the time to get them vaccinated. This will make it easier and safer for them to go back to school.
If you have chosen not to get your shots, you need to wear a mask and practice social distancing—to protect yourself and other people.
If you believe you need a test, please know that PCR tests are widely available, and more rapid antigen test kits are becoming available every day. You can click here to find testing sites. The federal government is in the process of making more than 500 million free at-home tests available. It’s important to understand that supplies of rapid antigen tests are limited across the country, so everyone needs to use good judgment when seeking these.
City of Richmond: Weekly vaccine clinic schedules can be accessed here. Appointments are not required, but they are encouraged. You can make an appointment online or call (804) 205-3501.
While supplies last, the Richmond Public Library has a limited number of COVID-19 rapid antigen at-home test kits. Call your nearest branch for more information.
Supreme Court of Virginia’s Final Redistricting Order
On December 27, the Supreme Court of Virginia issued their final order for Virginia’s redistricting. You can view the House of Delegates interactive map here and read the final order here.
Redistricting in the City of Richmond
The Richmond City Council’s Decennial Voter District Redistricting process is currently underway and will follow this schedule for public discussion:
January 24: Introduction of redistricting plan or plans for public comment
January 25: 30-day public comment period begins
February 14: Public hearing on proposed plan or plans
February 28: Public hearing and adoption of final redistricting plan and published notice of final redistricting plan
March 30: Adopted redistricting plan implementation
Additional dates and opportunities for discussion may be added. City of Richmond residents are encouraged to submit comments, questions, and suggestions:
Email: redistricting@rva.gov
Fax: 804.646.5468
Mail: Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting
Richmond City Hall
900 E. Broad Street, Suite 305
Richmond, Virginia 23219
More information about the redistricting process can be found here. You can find out who your City Council member is by using the City of Richmond property search tool. Contact information for your Richmond City Council member is here.
Online Permit Portal
In order to provide more efficient and timely service, the Department of Planning and Development Review (PDR) has launched an Online Permit Portal. Currently, customers can apply for the following permits online:
Building (residential and commercial)
Electrical (residential and commercial)
Mechanical (residential and commercial)
Gas Piping (residential only)
Plumbing (residential only)
Certificate of Zoning Compliance
Plan of Development
In the coming months, PDR is working to include additional permit types to the portal and to better integrate processes of all permit reviewing departments. Please note that residential and commercial permit applications are experiencing delays as PDR works to make these improvements.
2022 Minority Political Leadership Institute
The Minority Political Leadership Institute (MPLI) is an intensive eight month leadership development experience for individuals interested in issues important to minority communities. This is a collaboration between the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Foundation and the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute. Application deadline is due January 15, 2022. More information is available at gehli.vcu.edu or call 804-827-1169
Thank You
It is an honor to serve in the House of Delegates. I look forward to hearing from you during the upcoming session. You can reach me at delegate.carr@betsycarr.org or 804-698-1069 to share your concerns or schedule an appointment to meet virtually or in-person.
Sincerely,
Betsy B. Carr