Dear Friend,
The second week of Session has come to a close. Below is an update on some of the past week’s work in the legislature.
The Second Week of Session
Committees have been working through large dockets of legislation and bills have begun to pass the House. As of Friday, 33 bills have been sent to the Senate from the House. The Senate is slightly ahead of schedule, due to their bill limits and that the last election did not change the majority party. The Senate has passed 78 bills to the House. Both bodies have significant work to do in the coming weeks. February 13 is “crossover,” the last day for each body to complete work on their legislation. You can find a list of bills and resolutions that passed the House here, and a list of bills that passed the Senate here.
An important function of the General Assembly is the nomination and election of judges. Virginia used the legislative election method for judicial selections. The legislature fields candidates for judicial vacancies and finalizes selections into a resolution that is then voted on by the General Assembly. This past week, the General Assembly made appointments and renewals to local and district courts, but more importantly, the legislature filled both vacancies at the State Corporation Commission. Having all three seats filled is a critical win for consumer protection and regulation in Virginia. Kelsey Bagot moves to fill a seat carrying a 6 year term. She is an attorney for NextEra Energy and was formerly an advisor to a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Sam Towell is an attorney at Smithfield foods and formerly was an attorney in the Office of the Attorney General. Due to election cycles, his seat will expire in 4 years. Kelsey Bagot and Sam Towell join Chairman Jehmal Hudson, who was appointed to a six year term in 2020. You can read more about the appointments here.
This past Thursday, my HB1105 was heard in the General Laws subcommittee on Housing and Consumer Protection. It was moved to be reported and referred to Appropriations by an unanimous vote. This bill would establish an incentive grant fund at the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Grants would be awarded to localities who decide to implement zoning ordinances that promote the production of affordable housing. This incentive fund takes a realistic approach to affordable housing production. The state can and has established optional zoning practices, but they are rarely implemented at the local level. Incentive grants are a necessary addition to encourage adoption and get badly needed affordable units produced.
Members of the General Assembly can rise on the floor to give recognition to visitors watching from the gallery. This past week I had the privilege of introducing the Virginia Association of Recovery Residences and the Virginia Association of Museums. On Wednesday, I introduced Bishop Gayle Harris of the Episcopal Diocese who offered the morning invocation.
During the past week of Session, my staff and I met various representative individuals and groups including:
Virginia Automobile Dealers Association
Virginia Reproductive Equity Alliance
MS Society
Virginia Restaurant and Lodging Tourism Association
Associated General Contractors of Virginia Association
Virginia Emergency Management Association
Breast Cancer Foundation
Southern Environmental Law Center
Wetlands Watch
Virginia Pharmacists Association
Medical Society of Virginia
American Council of Pediatrics
Virginia Tech Leadership
Radford University Leadership
Council of Independent Colleges of Virginia
American Cancer Society
J. Sargent Reynolds Community College Leadership
Childhood Cancer Foundation
AARP of Virginia
James Madison University Leadership
Virginia Association of Museums
Birth in Color (Doula Advocates)
Family Lifeline
Early Impact Virginia
Church World Service
Virginia Radiological Society
Virginia Community Healthcare Association
Homebuilders Association of Richmond
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Randolph Macon Advocacy Students
Virginia Apartment Managers Association
Pace-o-matic
Richmond Parent Teacher Association
SeaGrant
AFL-CIO
Judicial Candidates
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Old Dominion Highway Contractors Association
Community College Foundation
It is my goal to keep my constituents informed of the work happening at the General Assembly. There are several websites which provide troves of helpful information. Livestreams and past recordings of Session, as well as committee meetings can all be found at this link. Legislation, as well as meeting calendars and committee information can be found here. A searchable database of legislation can be found here.
If you have legislative priorities, questions or concerns to share with me, email me at delegate.carr@betsycarr.org or call my office at 804-698-1078.
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 804-698-1078 if I can be helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Betsy