Proudly Serving the People of Virginia's 25th District
The session grinds on with early mornings and late evenings. Meetings of committees and subcommittees go just about around the clock. Trying to find a balance of what is right for over eight million Virginians who are from areas as diverse as Fairfax and Arlington Counties and Wise and Bland Counties requires a lot of work.
Many times bills are changed and compromises reached by people who in the end can’t vote for them. [Read more…]
The second full week of the 2020 Session of the General Assembly began with a huge gun rights rally at the Capitol. Officials estimated 22,000 people were in attendance. The majority of the attendees were outside of the fence and many of them were armed. The rally was without incident.
The day was fairly gloomy for those of us who had work in or around the Capitol. Because of the large number of people expected and credible threats, the Governor declared a state of emergency. [Read more…]
The first full work week of the 2020 General Assembly, the week beginning January 13, has fulfilled its promise of being hectic, frustrating and productive.
The 2020 Session has of course seen new majorities. In the Senate, where Democrats and Republicans have traded the majority several times over the past 12 years, work proceeds. Redistricting and demographic change meant that this Democratic majority is significantly different than past ones. [Read more…]
Ray Wylie Hubbard is a Texas troubadour, who I guess is an acquired taste. In the 1970s he wrote “Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother.” Later he wrote “Snake Farm” and co-wrote “Drunken Poet’s Dream.” He is worth the price of admission if you ever get the chance to go to a live show. A line from one of his more recent songs is “and the days that I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, well, I have really good days.”
This is good advice for the Democratic voters who elected majorities to both houses of the General Assembly in 2019.
With a majority in both houses, we have incredible opportunities to do good things. I expect us to fulfill reasonable expectations. [Read more…]
The General Assembly returned to Richmond on April 3 for our 2019 reconvened session to consider gubernatorial vetoes and amendments. The governor has 30 days from the adjournment of the regular session to sign, veto, or offer amendments to legislation. The authority of Virginia’s governor to amend legislation is atypical compared to the president and many other governors. This power provides an opportunity to impact policy in a significant way. [Read more…]
