Dear Friend,
Spring and its joyous festivities and beautiful blossoms are in full swing. Many important religious holidays recently passed and I hope all those who observe had a wonderful holiday. In other news, last week saw the General Assembly return to Richmond for the Reconvene Session. The coming weeks bring warmer temperatures and many exciting events. Below is an update on Reconvene Session, as well as other state and local news.
Reconvene Session
Last Wednesday, April 12, the General assembly met for the Reconvene Session (sometimes referred to as a veto session) to receive the Governor’s actions on bills.
There has not been a compromise on the state budget yet, but a few minor amendments to the “skinny,” stopgap budget were agreed to. The action of the four amendments does the following:
Updates the State budget’s front page to reflect increased general fund expenditures and tax conformity measures.
Provides funding ($9.2 million in 2023 and $6.1 million in 2024) for TANF Unemployed Parents Program. This reflects recent estimates for the program’s cost.
Adjusts disbursement of American Rescue Plan Act funds to support Medicaid eligibility redeterminations which are required by the end of the federal mandate on continuous eligibility coverage, which was in place for the COVID-19 pandemic. This amendment provides the Department of Medical Assistance Services with $38.1 million to assist with Medicaid eligibility redetermination as well as support for local departments of social services who will perform eligibility redeterminations and appeals.
Authorizes a $43.3 million treasury loan as a show of good faith for Jefferson Lab’s hopeful bid to create and administrate a state of the art data facility. Jefferson Lab is a finalist in a search by the U.S. Department of Energy for the project and the loan will only be awarded if Jefferson Lab is chosen for the project.
Besides the budget, over 70 other pieces of legislation received amendments from the Governor and were considered by the General Assembly.
One set of amendments to a bill were meant to tighten enforcement on hemp-derived products. The Governor’s amendments added further restrictions on the amount of THC (the psychoactive compound in marijuana) allowed in hemp products as well as more regulations on the sellers of these products. You can read more about the approved amendments in this article from The Virginia Mercury.
The Reconvene Session also saw more retirement speeches from legislators who will not be seeking re-election. Speeches heard included those from historic figures such as, Delegate Ken Plum, who is the second longest serving member of the House of Delegates and Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn, who was the first woman and Jewish speaker of the House of Delegates. Delegate Plum was the oldest member retiring from the House. The youngest retiree, Will Wampler, III, also gave a speech. You can find Delegate Plum’s speech here, Delegate Filler-Corn’s speech at this link, and Delegate Wampler’s here.
You can read more about the legislation considered at the Reconvene Session in this link from The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Mifepristone Ban
Earlier this month, a Texas Judge ruled against the FDA’s approval of Mifepristone, a medication which has been used for over two decades for early-stage abortions and is used in over half of all abortion care regimens in the U.S.
The 5th District Court overruled this decision, but also put in place medical restrictions that were deemed unnecessary by the FDA in 2016. Although access to the drug is still available, the issue is now before the U.S. Supreme Court, which has issued a temporary stay as of April 21.
The Mifepristone decision undermines medical expertise and instead favors opinions of political appointees, a dangerous precedent.
Moreover, this decision comes in the wake of a seeming trend of overt politicization of judiciaries. Justice Clarence Thomas’s failure to report gifts of opulent trips from a conservative donor is a recent example.
Board of Education Adopts History Standards
The tumultuous process of adopting history and social science standards to go in effect in the 2025-2026 school year has finally come to a close. The Board of Education adopted the history standards Thursday afternoon after months of debates. Now, the Board will work to approve curriculum frameworks and textbooks, a much more arduous process.
You can read about the process in this article from The Virginia Mercury.
Monument Avenue 10k Race
This Saturday, April 22, is the Monument Avenue 10k race. Several road closures will be in effect for the first portion of the day. View the maps below for road closure information as well this link for more in-depth information. Good luck to all those running on Saturday.
Virginia Driver’s License Redesign
Beginning Monday, April 24, the Department of Motor Vehicles will begin distributing redesigned licenses and ID Cards. The new cards feature Jefferson’s Rotunda at the Virginia State Capitol, as well as the state flower (the Dogwood) and the state insect (the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly).
Additionally, these new cards have the latest in ID Security technology to prevent counterfeiting and enhance validation processes.
Virginia Humanities Award Grants
Virginia Humanities awarded 19 grants for programs and organizations across the state. Four were awarded to Richmond-area organizations: Gallery 5, VCU, University of Richmond, and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. You can read more about the awarded grants here.
Earth Day
Saturday, April 22, is Earth Day. This holiday marks the birth of the modern environmental movement and invokes reflection on how we as humans can be good stewards of the planet we call home. As such there are numerous events and opportunities to give back to our environment and ecosystem.
On Sunday, April 23, 10 AM - 12 PM, there will be a clean-up of Manchester at Hatch Local Food Hall. More information is available at this link. The Carillon Civic Association will also be holding an invasive plant removal on Sunday, April 23, at 11 AM. They will begin near Rugby Road & Carillon Court and move down Blanton Avenue.
Additionally, the James River Association is looking for volunteers to join the James River Watch. These volunteers help water testing efforts along the James to monitor bacteria levels and communicate water sanitation levels to the public. Interested volunteers can sign up for a virtual training session to be held on April 26, 5:30 - 6:30 PM at this link. You can find more information about volunteering at this link.
The James River is an invaluable asset to Central Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay, which is why I so enjoyed reading this article about the Chesapeake Bay Foundation taking 6th grade students from Albert Hill Middle School on the river to run important tests and collections.
Massey Cancer Center Receives Top Designation
VCU’s Massey Cancer Center recently received the designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center from the National Cancer Institute, the top level designation that a cancer center can receive.
Presenting Resolution in Honor of John Moeser to his Family
Senator Hashmi and I introduced resolutions (HJ615 & SR108) this past Session to honor the life and contributions of the late John Moeser, who was a leader, author, academic, and activist for building a better, more inclusive Richmond. He helped found the Department of Urban Planning at VCU and taught generations of civic leaders, both at VCU and the University of Richmond. You can read more about his life, accomplishments, and values in this tribute by Michael Paul Williams. It was an honor to present the resolutions to Sharon Moeser and one of her and John’s sons.
If you would like a resolution drafted to celebrate a life or commend an individual or group accomplishment, please reach out to my office at delegate.carr@betsycarr.org or by phone at 804-698-1069.
Library of Virginia’s “LVA On the Go” Tour
The Library of Virginia is taking its “LVA On the Go,” a custom-made mobile exhibit which brings the Library’s vast resources to communities across the Commonwealth.
You can find the schedule of the tour at this link.
Habitat for Humanity’s “Women Build 2023”
Habitat for Humanity has several volunteer opportunities from now to June 3. These build sessions bring women together from all walks of life to help address the Housing crisis in Central Virginia. If you are interested in signing up, you can do so here.
John Marshall Basketball Coach Honored
Coach Ty White of the John Marshall Men’s Basketball Team was recognized as the Naismith High School Coach of the Year. The John Marshall Justices were undefeated State Champions and were ranked Number 1 nationally.
Congratulations to Coach White and the Justices for their tremendous accomplishments. Additionally, both the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams will travel to Angola at the beginning of the next school year, sponsored by the William Tucker 1624 Society. You can read more at this link.
Open Enrollment for State Employees
Employees of Virginia should note that open enrollment for benefits will be May 1 - May 15. Employees can make their elections for health benefits and flex savings accounts in the Cardinal HCM system.
Richmond Public Library’s Community Forum
Richmond Public Library will host a community forum on the importance of early childhood literacy. The forum will be Tuesday, April 25, 7 - 8 PM, at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Discussion will feature Maya Payne Smart, who authored the book Reading for our Lives; the conversation will provide tips and tools to engage children in lifelong learning. 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