Senator Creigh Deeds

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2021 Session Preview

December 30, 2020 by Creigh Deeds

As 2020 is draws to a close, I cannot help but reflect on the unusual nature of this year as we prepare for the 2021 Session. From a legislative perspective, the regular session lasted 65 days, and we convened again in August for a 84-day special session. Of course, the General Assembly did not meet every day during the 65- and 84-day spans. During a regular session, legislators typically go home to spend time with family or to work their full-time jobs on the weekends. The special session met even more sporadically.

Politically, this year saw the return of Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate and a lot of pent-up demand from Democratic constituencies. The change in power meant the General Assembly was busy.

The pandemic is another story. Over 4500 Virginians have died from COVID-19. Many small businesses have been forced to close or lay off employees, most of our students are learning from home, and so many families are struggling to meet their basic needs because of the economy. The pandemic resulted in a slowdown of major parts of the economy, something for which we were unprepared. We return to Richmond next month with this backdrop.

Odd year sessions are always “short” sessions. We meet for 46 days, two fewer weeks than in long 60-day sessions. The Republican minorities have vowed to limit the 2021 Session to 30 days. This is allowed for by the Constitution. However there has never been a 30-day session since the Constitution was amended in 1971 to provide for one. The legislature has always extended the session to 46 days. At the end of the day, I expect the General Assembly will be in session for at least 46 days in 2021.

We are still dealing with critical issues brought about by the pandemic, including the extended economic crisis and the distribution of the vaccine. In addition to these topics, I am looking to address several significant priorities.

Deputy Raises and School Construction

These two issues have somehow gotten lost in the shuffle of Virginia politics. Law enforcement raises are always an issue as we look for a few dollars here and a few dollars there to meet priorities. Deputy sheriffs, who provide the primary law enforcement in rural localities are for the most part underpaid and, in many cases, called upon to do a whole lot more than enforce the law, serve process, and maintain order in our courtrooms.

Likewise, the tremendous infrastructure needs within school divisions throughout the Commonwealth are well-documented every year. This is primarily an issue in rural localities and older inner cities. Old, crumbling school buildings and other facilities hamper educational opportunity. In order to create opportunity in every part of the Commonwealth, the state must play a bigger role in helping localities construct schools. The last major initiatives to do so were in the early 1950s and the late 1990s. We need sustained effort to modernize our schools and foster enriching environments for every student to succeed.

I will have a unique approach to these topics this year. I will not only propose that we fund them, but I will propose a sustainable method for funding.

Virginia’s income tax has not increased since 1974. I will propose a modest -15 cents per 100 dollars – increase to take the rate on income over $150,000 a year from 5.75% to 5.9%. The increase will generate roughly $134.1 million in fiscal year 2021 and $144.2 million in fiscal year 2022, enough money to fund both priorities. Forty-five percent of the funds will go towards school construction grants and 55 percent will fund raises for state and state-supported law enforcement officers. I am convinced that both priorities are important to the people I represent and the Commonwealth of Virginia. While raising taxes may be controversial, it is time for more than empty rhetoric.

Unemployment Benefits and Training

During this pandemic, entire sectors of our economy had to shut down. I was struck by the closure of The Homestead in Bath County earlier this year. The hotel closed for many months and was forced to lay off employees. The hotel has seemed busy since reopening its doors. Some of the employees were called back, but about 200 positions were eliminated permanently. Candidly, some of those employees are in their 50s and 60s and have spent their entire working lives at The Homestead. Retraining opportunities for them are limited, especially in areas of the Commonwealth that already saw above average unemployment. With unemployment benefits running out, the future may seem bleak. We have to help these people.

The Governor has proposed depositing $650 million into the Reserve Fund. It is important that we maintain reserves to maintain our AAA bond rating, which allows us to borrow money at very low rates and save money in the long run over the course of every state construction project. The money supplements the “rainy day” fund. However, as a result of this pandemic, many people are already caught in the rain. I am proposing that $100 million be diverted to the Virginia Employment Commission to provide long term benefits for longer-term unemployed lower income and part-time workers, the bulk of whom will be over the age of 50. In addition to extending benefits, the funding will be used for retraining programs for that specific group of workers.

Election Law Changes

This past election saw historic turnout by Virginia’s voters. We have taken many steps over the years to protect the integrity of our elections. We eliminated electronic voting years ago and utilize paper ballots in every jurisdiction in Virginia. We test tabulation machines before every election, with witnesses from both political parties, and conduct post-election risk limiting audits. For people who do not watch elections closely every year, I understand how the shifts in votes late on election night was disconcerting. Elections are run by the local registrar and electoral boards. As result, some jurisdictions opted not to count absentee ballots until the polls closed at 7 p.m. As a result, once those votes were counted, you saw significant swings in areas like the City of Richmond, Loudoun County, and Henrico County. The swings were even more pronounced because of messaging about voting by absentee at the national level.

I will introduce two bills related to our elections. First, I will require all localities to count absentee ballots in the same manner. Late swings in election totals creates a perception that something is amiss when that is certainly not the case. We have to do better to remove any perception of wrong doing.

Second, I will sponsor legislation to codify permanently some of the reforms adopted in 2020 due to the pandemic. Specifically, I will ensure people can continue to vote absentee and deposit those ballots in secure drop boxes. I believe our democracy works best when more people can participate. We need to work to make sure that high turnouts are the rule rather than the exception in Virginia.

Mental Health

Finally, for the last seven years I have been driven to remake our public mental health system. The study commission I have chaired is set to expire at the end of 2021. When I began this work, I naively thought only a few changes would be needed to fix the system. What I have found is that the issues are much more complex and require constant evaluation and work. I will make a proposal this session to create a permanent structure to continue this work. We must do better to ensure everyone has access to a broad range of services to help them on the path to recovery.

It continues to be my honor to serve you in the Senate of Virginia. The 2021 Session begins on January 13, 2021, although I will arrive in Richmond for meetings earlier in the week. Until that time, I will continue to practice law in Hot Springs. If I may be of service or if you have concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or by phone at (434) 296-5491 or (540) 839-2473.

 

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Filed Under: Virginia General Assembly 2021 Tagged With: COVID-19, infrastructure, mental health policy, promoting economic growth, Senate procedures, State employee compensation, State income tax, unemployment assistance, Voting Rights, workforce training

Session Update – January 24, 2020

January 24, 2020 by Creigh Deeds

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…]

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Filed Under: Virginia General Assembly 2020 Tagged With: job creation, mental health policy, promoting economic growth

2018 Session Wrap Up

March 16, 2018 by Creigh Deeds

The 2018 Session of the General Assembly is history. It will be noted for a new governor, success and failures, including our inability once again to agree on a biennial budget. [Read more…]

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Filed Under: Virginia General Assembly 2018 Tagged With: broadband access, conservation, Governor Northam, health care costs, Higher Education funding, juvenile justice, K-12 funding, legislative redistricting, Medicaid expansion, mental health policy, power company regulation, promoting economic growth, public transportation, State employee compensation, Virginia budget, Virginia General Assembly Special Session, Virginia transportation funding, Virginia transportation policy

Still Talking Judges – We Can Do Better

January 22, 2016 by Creigh Deeds

The 2016 Session of the General Assembly has now been through its first full week. Days full of work make the time pass quickly. A 60-day session suffers under the misnomer of the “long” session and the odd numbered year 46-day sessions are the “short” sessions. We handle about the same amount of work in each session, with the exception of the consideration of the two year budget during the 60-day session. The Virginia Constitution does not provide for holiday or weekend breaks. So even when the General Assembly does not hold floor sessions, for example on weekends, the time period rolls on.

Likewise, the Session continues during federal holidays, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This past Monday, we celebrated that holiday and welcomed many people who had the day off to the General Assembly. Standing committees met and both houses held a floor session. There were an inordinate number of people trying to navigate the hallways, stairwells and elevators of the General Assembly Building to talk to their legislators. It was a busy day.

This year, as in other years, groups from all over the 25th District and throughout Virginia trekked to Richmond to share ideas with their elected representatives. This past week, during a radio interview I was asked whether anyone coordinated the rallies that occur during the legislative session. Historically, the pro-gun control and the pro-Second Amendment groups come to Richmond on Martin Luther King Day. Another day, the pro-choice and anti-choice people attend; another day the pro-Medicaid expansion and anti-Medicaid expansion attend. I’m not sure that anyone puts these groups together, but I am sure it is no coincidence that both sides of the issue are represented in Richmond at the same time.

It is still early in the session. The primary focus continues to be the budget. This week the Senate Finance Committee held important hearings regarding revenue projections and other fiscal matters. Of particular concern was the discussion on the relative weak growth of Virginia’s economy. As stated before in this space, we face a number of very serious challenges, many of which are brought on by sequestration at the federal level. We all know that the economy will change and that government contracting and direct military spending, which has driven economic growth in Virginia since the end of World War II, will not continue unabated. We have to diversify, and without question there will be growing pains in our economy and in Virginia’s government during that process.

Of note as well this session is the continued discussion revolving around Justice Roush of the Virginia Supreme Court. Many will recall that she was a Fairfax trial judge whom Governor McAuliffe appointed on an interim basis to the Virginia Supreme Court. She was appointed upon the recommendation of Delegate Dave Albo, the Republican Chair of the House Courts of Justice Committee. Unfortunately, her appointment ruffled the feathers of some of the Republican hierarchy. They have objected and are trying to remove her from the bench. Late last week, the Republican leadership was surprised to find that one of their freshman senators, Glen Sturtevant, a Senator from Richmond, was supporting Justice Roush. The discovery delayed for the time being their efforts to unseat her. This story will have to be continued because there does not appear to be any compromise.

Ultimately, part of the problem with putting people on the bench is that partisan politics becomes an issue. Thomas Jefferson, while the Minister to France, wrote an important letter to James Madison. At the time, Madison was developing the Constitution of the United States and had sent a draft to Jefferson. One of the important things in the draft, Jefferson concluded, was the absolute independence of the judiciary. He applauded the lifetime terms which he felt would ensure independence. We don’t have lifetime terms for state court judges in Virginia. Frankly, there needs to be some mechanism to assure the public that those people appointed to the bench are doing their jobs. However, we have to be vigilant that members of the bench are independent; judges should not consider that their position is owed to any segment of the political class. Without that, we cannot ensure there is equal justice for all in our court system.

I have once again sponsored a bill to create a merit based selection process for judges. The bill has not yet been heard.

This is being written as a major storm bears down on Virginia leading the Governor to declare a State of Emergency. I urge all Virginians to be careful, to not travel unless they have to, to stay warm and hydrated, to be mindful of their neighbors, and to care for their pets and animals. Even though the snow may come, I will need to make sure the ice gets broken and the chicken and equine are cared for. I urge caution.

It continues to be my high honor to serve you in the Virginia General Assembly. If I may be of service, do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at
[email protected] or (804) 698-7525. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Creigh

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Filed Under: Virginia General Assembly 2016 Tagged With: judicial appointments, promoting economic growth, Virginia budget

Back in Richmond!

January 16, 2016 by Creigh Deeds

The 2016 regular session of the Virginia General Assembly is off and running. The long sessions are held in even years and are significant because we will be adopting a new two-year budget. Due to our budget cycle, this is the first year Governor McAuliffe has an opportunity to put forward his vision for the Commonwealth. This biennial budget will be the Governor’s opportunity to leave a legacy.

On the first night of the session, the Senate and House of Delegates convened a Joint Assembly to welcome the Governor and hear his State of the Commonwealth speech. Typically such affairs are light, and the mood is hopeful and congenial. Certainly this year was not much of an exception.

Budget Priorities: Education and Economic Development

Governor McAuliffe laid out his outline for the $109 billion two-year spending plan. His budget priorities include education and economic development, which generally receive widespread support. The Governor boosts spending for both K-12 and higher education. Those in K-12 know that spending has been very tight for at least the past seven years. The Governor’s re-benchmarking of that area of the budget was needed just to catch up.

In higher education, Virginia’s historically frugal way has left us behind many surrounding states in terms of our overall investment in higher education. This year’s plan achieves a number of important goals. First, it adds planning money and capital outlay for a number of important projects throughout the system. Of particular interest to those who reside in the 25th Senate District, money is allocated for the development of a student center at Piedmont Virginia Community College. Second, and important for our economy, there is additional investment in workforce training at our community colleges in clear recognition that a bachelor’s or associate’s degree is not necessary for every segment of the workforce. Sometimes a certification can increase earning power and productivity.

In an effort to build a budget to include something for everyone, the Governor also proposes corporate tax cuts to promote business growth in Virginia and remain competitive with other states. He also provides funding for GO Virginia, which is supported by business and local governments, to encourage regional partnerships and planning for economic development. This funding will allow jurisdictions to work together on common goals, rather than compete for business.

Medicaid Expansion

While his efforts in these areas may receive widespread support, the Governor has not avoided controversy in the budget. For the third time, the Governor put forward budget language to expand Medicaid in Virginia. The proposal and related money is woven into the budget. I have consistently argued that expanding Medicaid makes good economic and political sense for Virginia. Ninety percent of the dollars to expand Medicaid will come from the federal government. Of course, those dollars don’t just “come from the federal government”; the funding is generated by money higher earning Virginians already pay due to increased taxes in the Affordable Care Act. If we have an opportunity to bring our tax dollars back to Virginia to work for us, we have a responsibility to act. In doing so, we can provide insurance coverage for hundreds of thousands of Virginians, a significant number of whom suffer serious mental illness, who are falling through the cracks. Providing health care to these individuals is the right thing to do.

Predictably, there is a good deal of partisanship being displayed, particularly about the Medicaid issue. But I am hopeful we can put aside some of our past differences and genuinely work together for the benefit of the people of the Commonwealth.

Judicial Issues

In addition, there are a number of judicial issues before the Virginia General Assembly. Specifically, I will introduce legislation that calls for an additional fourth general district court judgeship in the 25th Circuit, the area that stretches north from Craig and Botetourt Counties to Highland and Augusta Counties. I will also carry a budget amendment to fund an additional circuit court position in the 16th Circuit, in the Charlottesville-Albemarle region.

The Virginia General Assembly must also confirm or elect a new justice to the Supreme Court. A great deal of partisanship continues to surround this issue, even though the Governor’s appointment was nominated by the Republican Chairman of the House Courts of Justice Committee. Many Republican leaders oppose Justice Jane Roush’s election. How that plays out remains to be seen.

Procedural Measures in the Virginia General Assembly

On the first day, the Senate voted on a number of procedural measures necessary for conducting the work of the people. We narrowly adopted new rules, including the controversial removal of media access to the chamber during session, and finalized committee assignments. I resumed my seat on the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, on which I last served in 2011. Longtime friends know that I spent many years on the Courts Committee while in the House of Delegates. In order to obtain that assignment, I gave up positions on the General Laws and Technology Committee and the Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee. I maintained my seats on the Transportation and Privileges and Elections Committees.

Although the Virginia General Assembly Session just began on Wednesday, lots of bills have been introduced and standing committees have begun working through the over 2,000 bills already before us. I urge you to please let me hear from you if you have any information or ideas about the legislation currently before us.

It remains a high honor to serve you in the Senate of Virginia. If I may be of assistance, or if you wish to share your thoughts with me, please contact me at [email protected] or (804) 698-7525. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Creigh

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Filed Under: Virginia General Assembly 2016 Tagged With: Higher Education funding, K-12 funding, Medicaid expansion, promoting economic growth, Virginia budget

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2021 Virginia General Assembly

2021 Session Preview

December 30, 2020 By Creigh Deeds

As 2020 is draws to a close, I cannot help but reflect on the unusual nature of this year as we prepare for the 2021 Session. From a legislative perspective, the regular session lasted 65 days, and we convened again in August for a 84-day special session. Of course, the General Assembly did not meet […]

Important Upcoming Dates

December 30, 2020 By Creigh Deeds

  • Budget hearings on January 6
  • January 13 is the first day of the 2021 Session
  • January 15 is the Senate budget amendment deadline
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2020 Virginia General Assembly

The Special Session Continues

September 14, 2020

We knew back in April that we would need to return to Richmond for a special session to address budgetary issues. The pandemic dramatically reduced the amount of revenue flowing into Virginia’s tax coffers. We experienced a $2.7 billion budget shortfall and have seen nearly every aspect of state government impacted by the pandemic. Budgetary matters, for the most part have yet to be considered. The first few weeks of this special session has been consumed by other issues, such as the eviction crisis and utility bills, and by criminal justice reform. [Read More…]

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More Newsletters from the 2020 Session of the Virginia General Assembly

Virginia General Assembly 2019

Major Accomplishments in Richmond This Week!

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…]

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