Dear Friend,
Session began on Wednesday, January 12. I have introduced my bills and submitted budget amendments for the session. Additionally, I learned my committee assignments and general schedule for the session. The General Assembly also participated in a peaceful transition of power by confirming the new Speaker and Clerk of the House. The week ended with the inauguration of the new Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General.
Committee Assignments
I look forward to continuing my service on the House Appropriations, General Laws, and Transportation committees. My subcommittees will be:
Appropriations: Higher Education; Health and Human Resources
General Laws: Housing; Procurement
Transportation: Infrastructure and Funding
Bills and Budget Amendments
Throughout the year, I hear from many constituents about issues and concerns they are facing. To address many issues I have heard about over the years, I introduced:
HB632: To reduce excessive noise from loud exhaust systems (or “macho mufflers”)
HB635: To increase affordable rental housing in the City of Richmond
HB636: To enhance and promote environmental literacy and outdoor learning in our public schools
HB638, HB639, and HB640: This package of bills are based on recommendations from the JLARC report on the Virginia Employment Commission to address many concerns that constituents with unemployment faced during the COVID-19 pandemic
HB642: To provide health care premium payments for certain military service members during a declared state of emergency
HB646: To establish nursing home staffing and care standards in order to protect and better care for our aging citizens
HB647: To hold packaging producers accountable for recycling stewardship
HB649: To provide tools and resources for language acquisition and development for children who are deaf or hard of hearing
HJ58: To establish the Long Term Owner Occupancy Program (LOOP) to help homeowners stay in their homes as taxes increase in their neighborhoods
You can find the full list of my introduced bills here.
Budget Amendments
I have submitted requests for increasing or providing funding for:
The Virginia Home (located in the 69th district)
The Library of Virginia to preserve historical records from circuit court clerks
The Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) fund for online students and graduate students
Local public libraries
Long-term care ombudsman to protect nursing home and assisted living residents
Mobile vision clinics in school-based settings
Replacing lead drinking water service lines in the City of Richmond
Community Action Agencies to provide programs and services to alleviate poverty for low-income families
Virginia Holocaust Museum to provide Holocaust education
Minimum wage for three essential DD waiver services
Reimbursement rate for personal care, respite and companionship services
Research to establish the evidence-base of CHIP of Virginia (home visiting program for families)
Dementia Care Case Management program
To review Governor Northam’s proposed budget (HB30/SB30), click here. Later in the session, each member's budget amendments will be available for review as well.
How to Stay in Touch During Session
If you would like to share your priorities with me, I am available for 15 minute appointments. You can schedule an in-person or zoom meeting here: https://calendly.com/delegate-carr/
To meet in-person, please wear your mask and provide proof of your COVID-19 vaccination (and booster, if applicable). You can bring your vaccination card with you to the appointment or email it ahead of time to delegate.carr@betsycarr.org. You can read more about COVID-19 policies and procedures for my office here (LINK)
If you have any questions, concerns, or issues scheduling an appointment, please email delegate.carr@betsycarr.org or call 804-698-1069. Additionally, if you would like to schedule me or my staff to speak with your community group, please email me.
Additionally, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook for updates.
How to Participate during session
You can watch session at noon each day via livestream (committees and subcommittees) here.
Review bills and meeting schedule here on LIS.
Executive Branch Transition
On Wednesday, January 12, Governor Ralph Northam presented his final State of the Commonwealth address. You can watch it and read excerpts of his remarks here. I was honored to attend the unveiling of Governor Northam’s official portrait. The artist, Stanley Rayfield, is a Richmond-area resident and graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Arts.
Thank you to Governor Northam for his service to our Commonwealth. During his time in office, Virginia maintained and grew its strong economy, developed a world-class education system, expanded health care for more than 600,000 Virginians, granted broadband access to more than 390,000 homes and communities, restored the rights of 126,000 Virginians, and so much more. It was an honor to work with him.
On Saturday, January 15, I joined my General Assembly colleagues and many others for the Inauguration of Governor Glenn Youngkin, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, and Attorney General Jason Miyares. I look forward to working with each of them during this session and the years ahead to improve the lives of citizens in my district and across our Commonwealth.
It is an honor to serve in the House of Delegates. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be helpful to you or if you would like to speak with me about your legislative priorities. I am available by email at delegate.carr@betsycarr.org or by phone at 804-698-1069.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Betsy