Senator Creigh Deeds

Proudly Serving the People of Virginia's 25th District

Reconvened Session Update

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The Reconvened Session of the General Assembly met in Richmond on Wednesday, April 22.  The purpose of the Reconvened Session under the Constitution of Virginia is to consider amendments and vetoes offered by the Governor.  It has been part of the Virginia process since the 1971 Constitution. Before that time, the legislature did not have an opportunity to override or consider the Governor’s actions.

The age of social distancing made it an interesting day.  Without question, we all want to get back to work and get back to normalcy as quickly as possible.  However it is also clear that social distancing is working.  We are slowing the spread of the virus, and therefore saving our medical assets and lives.  We are all in this together, and we must be patient.  Knowing all of that did not make the Reconvened or Veto Session any easier.

Because of the social distancing rules, the House and Senate could not meet in their chambers in the state Capitol.  The Senate arranged for us to meet in a spacious room at the Science Museum of Virginia on Broad Street in Richmond.  In that room, we had desks that were spaced six feet apart.  We were all required to wear masks, and we were equipped with gloves and hand sanitizer. Debate, questioning and presentation while wearing a face mask made it even more unusual. [Read more…]

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COVID-19 Updates and Resources

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We have been monitoring the spread of COVID-19 closely. We are in uncharted waters, and we need to continue to take swift action to assist all Virginians through this crisis. I am in communication today with the Governor to see how the state can assist our citizens and businesses through this extraordinary time. I am asking the Governor to provide meaningful relief and stand ready to return to Richmond if measures are needed beyond his executive powers. I would like to thank the Governor for his leadership during this time and encourage everyone to follow CDC guidelines and practice safe social distancing. With the closures of schools and many workplaces, some community services are adapting or offering additional resources during this time. For more information on COVID-19 and what you can do to be safe, please visit the Virginia Department of Health’s website  or the CDC website.

Below are just a few options and announcements affecting District 25 residents. We will update this list as we receive more information.

Regarding School Closures

We understand that the sudden closures of schools creates food insecurity for students on free or reduced lunch programs. Each locality is handling this differently. Please monitor your local school systems’ website and Facebook page to see current plans as they are updating frequently. Some school systems have not finalized their plans yet, but are anticipating something soon.

Local Assistance

  • If you are a member of the UVA community and are unable to leave grounds, UVA Food Pantry provides food and toiletries in the SAC building (1st floor of Newcomb Hall)
  • SupportCville has a cultivated list of ways to provide and get help, including monetary, delivery of supplies, and legal concerns
  • Rockbridge Area Relief Association will still be accepting help applications via phone and email. They will also be operating their food pantry on a drive-up basis. If you are low-risk, please consider volunteering

Do you know of an organization providing additional services during this time? Do you have opportunities for volunteering? Send us an email at [email protected].

We will do our best to provide updates and new information on social media.

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Sine Die

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On March 12, 2020, the regular session of the General Assembly adjourned after adopting a budget for the next two years. It is a budget that will take us forward and that we can be proud of, but there are caveats.

The biennial budget is built on projected growth over the next two years of three percent. The February forecast showed Virginia experiencing about six percent growth to date, so three percent seemed to be a conservative estimate. However, the stock market has fallen more than 25 percent over the last few weeks. We need to be concerned about the economy at this point for several reasons. Major forecasts are predicting a recession this year, so there are a few things we need to take into consideration. [Read more…]

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Priorities

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One week is all that remains between now and adjournment sine die of the 2020 Session. We are scheduled to adjourn on Saturday, March 7 by midnight. We have accomplished a lot this session, and I guess history will judge the effectiveness of our work. [Read more…]

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Budget

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The 2020 Session of the General Assembly is now past crossover. The Senate and House of Delegates both acted on the budget this week beginning with the release of subcommittee reports on Sunday by the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. The final two weeks of the session will be spent trying to reconcile the differences between bills that passed, including the budget. [Read more…]

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