Dear Friend,
The General Assembly has concluded our last full week before Crossover next Tuesday. Crossover is the last day each body can act on their legislation before it must be sent to the other body for review. As such, this was a fast week with a lot of movement. Below is an update on my bills and other relevant legislation.
Tyre Nichols
Last Friday, January 27, horrific body camera footage was released that showed a tragic beating by five Memphis policemen, of 29-year Tyre Nichols, who would succumb to his injuries three days later.
The reason for initial police interaction was a traffic stop. I am deeply disturbed by this and echo a sentiment from the Virginia Joint Democratic Caucuses and Virginia Legislative Black Caucus press release that “a system in which a traffic stop ends with someone murdered is a system that is deeply broken.”
Systematic change is obviously required to prevent situations such as these. In the meantime, my colleagues and I in the House have been working hard to defend progress we have made. Last Thursday, I voted to defeat HB1401 which would have repealed the Community Policing Act.
House Appropriations Presents Budget
Sunday, February 5, at 1 PM, the House Appropriations Committee will present its proposed budget report, which will be considered on the House floor later next week.
You can watch the presentation live at this link.
Important Bills
Short Term Rentals
HB2271 was heard in Subcommittee #2 of Counties, Cities, and Towns. The subcommittee unanimously moved to defeat this bill. The Senate companion, SB1391, was similarly defeated.
Hearing a lot of concern from my constituents and Richmond area communities, I actively advocated against this bill and was pleased that it failed to pass. These sorts of measures should be left to localities.
LGBTQ Youth Bills
Two bills (HB2432 and HB1387) targeting transgender youth will be up for a vote on the House floor next week. I will oppose these bills.
Rate Reform
Dominion is backing a House and Senate bill that will likely result in increases in ratepayer bills. Both pieces of legislation have moved to their respective floors after extensive discussion and amendments. At present, I will oppose these bills over concerns of increasing energy bills and the negative implications they may have on the Virginia Clean Economy Act.
A more simple proposal (HB1604) that allows oversight for utility rates has passed the Commerce & Energy Committee and is heading to the House Floor.
Bills from the Governor’s Commission on Antisemitism
I will always fight antisemitism and stand strong against bigotry and hatred. I am very supportive and appreciative of the work of the Jewish Community Federation in Richmond and those around the Commonwealth. I have worked to combat antisemitism through my service on the Virginia Holocaust Museum (VHM) board as well as introductions of state budget amendments for the VHM. The Holocaust Museum provides comprehensive, age appropriate in-depth education about the Holocaust and the dangers of all bigotry. We must continue to address the abhorrent rise of antisemitism and hate-crimes.
Several bills were introduced this year that originated from the Governor’s Commission to Combat Antisemitism. Two bills are on the House floor, HB1898 & HB1606. The first would prevent the state from contracting with companies that have participated in a boycott of Israel. The second bill implements the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-semitism into State code.
HB1606 seeks to implement the IHRA’s working definition of antisemitism into state code as a tool for education and public safety. I am supportive of this bill and of clarifying the definition of antisemitism, which will greatly benefit education and training measures and will ensure that antisemitic crimes can be properly prosecuted.
HB1898 addresses a much more complicated issue and there is not even consensus among the Jewish community members concerning this bill. I heard from some constituents that this bill advanced a necessary discussion on the clear and present threat of antisemitism nationally. On the other hand, I heard from many other constituents who were concerned that HB1898 unfairly punished individuals and businesses who sought to express concerns with Israeli foreign policy, without directing comments towards Jewish people themselves.
Bipartisan Efforts in the General Assembly
The House of Delegates has been working on a bipartisan effort to pass important legislative initiatives for the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Here you can find an article from the Richmond Times-Dispatch that shows some of the work Democrats and Republicans have completed to achieve legislative success for their constituents.
Constitutional Amendments
20 constitutional amendments will not be heard in the House Privileges and Elections Committee, including my HJ498 which would have established an optional tax relief program for localities to protect their longtime owner-occupants from steep property taxes. You can read more about the other constitutional amendments being left in committee at this link.
Bills I Presented
This past week, I presented the remainder of my bills in their respective committees. Below is an update on them.
HB1738 seeks to ensure virtual public access is required for state and local meetings. This bill was reported and referred from General Laws to Appropriations for fiscal analysis. The bill passed Appropriations 22-0 and will be read on the House floor.
HB1744 establishes reciprocity between home studies done for adoption or foster care services. A constituent presented the idea for this bill to me and I was thrilled to introduce this legislation which will provide clarity and reduce financial barriers associated with the adoption and foster care process. This bill will be up for a vote on the House floor on Monday.
HB1765 expands the definition of fire company to include companies that provide rehabilitative services. This bill was brought to me by the Metro Richmond Flying Squad and passed General Laws by a vote of 21-1 and will be on the House floor.
HB1744 sought to establish harm reduction training standards for law enforcement. This bill was the result of conversations with Beth Macy (Author & Journalist known for Dopesick and Raising Lazarus) as well the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition, both of whom provided testimony at the subcommittee. It was defeated in subcommittee by a vote of 5-3. I look forward to continuing to work on this topic.
HB2045 directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to create an incentive program for localities who adopt certain affordable housing practices. Although it passed the General Laws Committee unanimously, there was a question over some specific implementation and necessary funding. Accordingly, it was sent to Appropriations and will be considered by the Virginia Housing Commission going forward.
HB2046 tasks DHCD with a statewide housing needs assessment and plan to be done every 5 years. This bill passed General Laws and Appropriations unanimously and is heading to the House floor.
Virginia Board of Education
This past Thursday, the Board of Education adopted a second rewriting of the K-12 history standards that were provided by Governor Youngkin’s administration. These standards have been sharply criticized for their accuracy, their fairness in reporting, and their quality. Issues range from removing the word “facism” from the section on World War II, as well as removing teachings on labor union history, and the history of Indigenous peoples before European settlement.
These standards were adopted as a basis for the board to begin tweaking. These standards will go through a public comment period, with 6 hearings scheduled throughout the month of March. Find the notices of these hearings here.
Department of Education Funding Error
The Department of Education made an error in their online calculation tool that local school districts use to anticipate funding and plan their budgets. This error led to local schools expecting a total of $200 million more than what they are set to receive. Schools that rely most on this state aid are in rural and poorer school districts.
Governor Youngkin has asked the General Assembly to fix this funding error in their budget bill. Read more about this issue at this link.
Richmond City Charter Review Commission
The City will hold a meeting of its City Charter Review Commission this coming Wednesday, February 8, 6-8 PM. All citizens are invited and encouraged to attend.
The meeting will be on the 5th floor conference room at City Hall (900 East Broad Street). More information is available here.
Helpful Resources for Session
Session convenes each day at noon. You can watch a live stream and recordings of previous sessions and committee meetings at this link.
You can find copies of introduced bills and track their progress at this website. Additionally, under the meeting tab of that website, you can find the schedule for committees, caucuses, commissions and session.
If you would like to testify in favor or opposition of a bill either virtually or in-person, you can sign up to do so here.
Reading a bill is a skill that can take some time to develop. Review the below graphic for help on how.
Finally, the language of session can be tricky, see below for a glossary of some common terms and motions used in session and in committees.
Definitions of Common Terms & Motions
Patron: The Delegate or Senator who introduces a bill
Co-Patron: The Delegate or Senator who supports the bill
First Reading: The bill is placed on the House floor calendar
Second Reading: The bill is open for discussion on the House floor
Third Reading: The bill is voted on the House floor
Crossover: When all the bills that passed one body (House or Senate) “crossover” to the other body
Sine Die: The House and Senate have completed their work and session adjourns
Committee motions:
Report: This motion is made to vote on the passage of a bill in committee.
Refer: This motion is made when a bill is being reported and referred to another committee for review and consideration.
Pass by for the Day: When a bill is still up for consideration but the committee or the patron need more time to work on the bill. It is considered again during the next committee meeting. This motion can also be made on the House floor.
Lay on the table: This means the bill fails to pass.
Pass by Indefinitely: This means the bill fails to pass.
Continued: The bill fails to pass but will be considered next year after more research/discussion, often accompanied by a workgroup that convenes between sessions.
Groups, in addition to constituents, that I have met with since my last update:
Central Virginia Labor Federation
Virginia Conservation Network Constituents
CodeRVA
ASK Childhood Cancer Virginia Childhood
Grafton Health Network
Virginia Housing Alliance
Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Education Facilities
Virginia Banker’s Association
CapitolOne
Encircle Programs & United Methodist
St. Joseph’s Villa
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
Dominion Energy
Sierra Club
Hampden-Sydney Leadership
Council for Independent Colleges of Virginia
Asian American Business Owner Association
Current issues I am hearing about from constituents:
Utility Rate Reform.
Bills related to the Governor’s Antisemitism commission.
Affordable housing and rent stabilization.
Protecting LGBTQ students.
Casino projects in the Central Virginia region.
I value your concerns and commitment to protecting our community. I hold that same value and promise to commit to and respect issues brought to me by fellow constituents.
I enjoy meeting with constituents and advocacy groups. Feel free to contact me at delegate.carr@betsycarr.org with any legislative priorities, or visit in-person.
Dominion Bill Assistance
Dominion Energy provides several bill payment assistance programs for its customers. You can view their entire list of programs at this link, which includes housing assistance and scam awareness resources.
Additionally, the Virginia Poverty Law Center has a utility helpline for those struggling to pay their bills. You can file a client intake form on their website.
Community Events
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will host a free Lunar New Year celebration today, 10 AM - 4:30 PM. Visit their website for more information.
The Valentine Museum’s next “Controversy/History” installation will be February 7, 5:30 - 7 PM. The focus of this session will be environmental reckoning and it will be held at the Science Museum. More information is available on their website.
The Library of Virginia has several programs and exhibits in celebration of their 200th anniversary. More information is available at their website.
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture’s “Cheers, Virginia” exhibit closes February 9. This exhibit focuses on beverage history in Virginia. More information is available on their website.
The Science Museum of Virginia’s new exhibit “Playing with Light” will open February 11. More information is available at their website.
The Visual Arts Center offers art classes for adults and children on topics such as woodworking, sewing, drawing and much more. Visit their website to see the schedule.
The American Civil War Museum features exhibits and events such as book discussions and history happy hours. Check their website for more information.
The Black History Museum’s “Forging Freedom, Justice and Equality,” exhibition commemorates the Museum’s 40th anniversary. More information is available here.
Thank You
It is an honor to serve in the House of Delegates. Please never hesitate to contact me at delegate.carr@betsycarr.org or 804-698-1069 if I can be helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Betsy