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Monday’s General Assembly schedule
7:00 AM
House Finance-Subcommittee #1
8:00 AM
Senate Courts of Justice
Senate Finance and Appropriations-Resources
House Communications, Technology and Innovation-Communications
House Education
House Education-Higher Education
Immediately upon adjournment of House Education Committee (Agenda) (View Meeting)
8:30 AM
Senate Education and Health-Higher Education
Senate Local Government
9:00 AM
House Appropriations-Compensation and Retirement
10:00 AM
House Communications, Technology and Innovation
11:00 AM
House Democratic Caucus
House Republican Caucus
11:15 AM
Senate Democratic Caucus
Senate Republican Caucus
12:00 PM
Senate Convenes
House Convenes
After adjournment
House Courts of Justice-Civil
15 minutes after adjournment of the House (Agenda) (View Meeting)
House Finance
15 minutes after adjournment of the House (Agenda) (View Meeting)
Senate Education and Health-Public Education
15 minutes after adjournment of the Senate (View Meeting)
Senate Commerce and Labor
15 minutes after adjournment of the Senate (View Meeting)
House Appropriations
1/2 hour after adjournment of the House (Agenda) (View Meeting)
House Appropriations-General Government and Capital Outlay
Immediately upon adjournment of the House Committee on Appropriations (Agenda) (View Meeting)
House Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education
Immediately upon adjournment of House Appropriations General Government and Capital Outlay Subcommittee (Agenda) (View Meeting)
4:00 PM
House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources-Chesapeake
Senate General Laws and Technology-Gaming
House Privileges and Elections-Election Administration
4:30 PM
Senate Finance and Appropriations-Economic Development and Natural Resources
Coverage from last week:
Youngkin delivers State of the Commonwealth
Marijuana seems like a no-go for Youngkin
Democrats still plan to push legislation to establish a retail marijuana market in Virginia despite Gov. Glenn Youngkin expressing his desire to work on other issues this session.
“Everyone knows where I stand on establishing a retail marijuana market,” Youngkin said during his State of the Commonwealth Monday. “Let’s work together on other issues where we can find common ground.”
When speaking to the press after his speech, Youngkin said marijuana is “bad for Virginia, bad for Virginians, and particularly bad for our adolescent and youth.”
“We have a functioning medical marijuana market, and we need to move forward and work on things that I believe we can find common ground on,” he continued.
Aird responds to Youngkin’s State of the Commonwealth
State Sen. Lashresce Aird, D-Petersburg, provided the Democratic response to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s State of the Commonwealth address.
Read her prepared remarks
Democrats doubt Youngkin’s motives on maternal health push
Democrats are pleased that Gov. Glenn Youngkin has come around to addressing maternal health issues, but they question his motives.
During a press gaggle Monday after Youngkin delivered his State of the Commonwealth address, Democrats discussed how they have been pushing for legislation to address maternal health issues for years while the governor is now making it a priority.
“We have been leading on that issue for a very long time,” said House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, D-Fairfax. “I’m glad that the governor’s eyes are finally open and recognize that there is a disparity when it comes to maternal health care in the Black community. But what is disappointing is that he vetoed a bill just last year regarding maternal health.”
Youngkin held an event last month announcing his initiative to address maternal health issues in the commonwealth, just one day after Democrats unveiled their proposals.
While Herring said she is happy Youngkin’s eyes are open, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, disagreed with that sentiment.
Virginia House passes restoration of rights amendment proposal
The House of Delegates passed a constitutional amendment proposal for the automatic restoration of rights in Virginia on Tuesday.
HJ 2, sponsored by Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, D-Alexandria, would automatically restore voting rights to individuals after incarceration for a felony conviction.
“The proposed constitutional amendment provides an affirmative fundamental right to vote for qualified voters,” Bennet-Parker said on the floor. “It also provides for the automatic restoration of political rights once a person with a felony conviction is released from incarceration. And it also strengthens protections for individuals with disabilities, fostering a more just and fair society.”
“Virginia is the only to permanently disenfranchise all individuals with a party conviction unless they individually petition the governor for rights restoration,” she continued. “The current system has no transparency and changes every four years, so no one knows what steps they need to take to get their rights restored this amendment creates a process that is transparent and bound by clear rules that will apply to everyone, and is not left the complete discretion of a single individual.”
Virginia House advances constitutional amendment for right to reproductive freedom
The House of Delegates passed an amendment Tuesday that would enshrine the right to reproductive freedom into the Virginia Constitution.
The amendment proposal, sponsored by House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, states that “every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one’s own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.”
The amendment still allows the commonwealth to regulate abortion in the third trimester but not when a life is in jeopardy.
“If it is needed to save the life of the mother, then an abortion can take place,” Herring said.
Spanberger talks gun safety at Capitol rally
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger participated in a rally with the gun safety advocate group Moms Demand Action Wednesday morning.
“I’m a mother of three girls in Virginia Public Schools,” Spanberger said to the crowd. “I’m also a former federal agent who carried a gun every single day for my job. So I come at this issue as someone who cares deeply about the safety of our kids and as someone who understands the responsibilities of owning and of carrying a firearm.”
Spanberger worked as a postal inspector prior to her time in the C.I.A.
She talked about the importance of advocacy on issues and specifically referenced about Lucia’s Law, which was enacted during the 2024 session.
“Here in Virginia, we have seen progress,” Spanberger said. “During the last session, we saw a bipartisan process here at the Virginia Capitol. So, thank you for your advocacy. Thank you to everyone who pushed for Lucia’s Law. That is the law that was moved forward here in the Commonwealth of Virginia because a family, the Bremer family, turned their pain and their loss of their beautiful young daughter into advocacy.”
A look at the top donors to the Spanberger and Sears gubernatorial campaigns
The finance reports are in for the final six months of 2024 for Virginia candidates. Gubernatorial candidates Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears (R) and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) raised millions from donors across the country.
Sears’ top donors include a health care capital investor, an oil and gas CEO and a political strategy firm. Spanberger’s top donors include a financial executive, a railroad executive and a health care CEO.
In total, Sears reported raising $2,563,086 between Sept. 4 and Dec. 31. Spanberger reported raising $2,501,153 between July 1 and Dec. 31, according to VPAP.
Sears reported raising $424,432 in cash contributions of less than $100, and Spanberger reported raising $429,647.
Sears reported $18,055 of in-kind donations, while Spanberger reported $54,583.
Sears reported $2,120,530 in cash contributions of more than $100, and Spanberger reported $1,886,034.
Sears’ largest donations were transfers from her PAC to her campaign account, totaling $900,000,
Republicans are pushing for opportunity scholarships to be used at private schools – Democrats say it would be unconstitutional
Republicans are pushing legislation that would provide scholarships for low-income students in Virginia to use in private education. Democrats say the legislation would take money away from public schools, but Republicans say it will help public school students supplement their education.
None of this could matter, however, as Democrats say this legislation would be unconstitutional.
The bills, sponsored by Del. Mike Cherry, R-Colonial Heights, and Sen. Emily Jordan, R-Isle of Wight, would provide $5,000 scholarships for up to 10,000 students in Virginia. A family must be at 200% below the federal poverty level to be eligible for the scholarship.
“We have an absolute gap in education, particularly in Black and Brown communities,” Jordan said during a press conference. “If our goal is to make sure that our children are prepared, we need to make sure that they have a level playing field.”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin touted this proposal during his State of the Commonwealth and spoke about it at the press conference Thursday.