Senator Creigh Deeds

Proudly Serving the People of Virginia's 25th District

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Week 3 of the 2022 Session

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We are now in the throes of the 2022 Regular Session. House committees and subcommittees are starting early in the morning and going late at night. In the Senate, which has fewer members and therefore fewer committees and bills, we are working long hours but fewer than the House. Over 2000 bills are still awaiting final action, including the budget.

The Constitution of Virginia requires our budget to be balanced. This requirement does not prevent us from borrowing money for certain needs, such as capital projects. The law also requires us to set aside money in reserves and the rainy day fund. Due to the growing economy and largess of the federal government last year, we have a record surplus that allows us to address some significant needs. [Read more…]

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Week 2 of the 2022 Session

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The first full week of the 2022 Session of the Virginia General Assembly is now under our belt. We have a little better idea of what we are working with this year. Governor Northam left us with a budget that attempted to address some critical areas of need but also outlined a plan for tax relief. He pre-supposed that the new administration would have success with some of its goals and embedded tax relief in his outgoing budget.

The rubber has now hit the road. Governor Youngkin gave a rousing speech at his inauguration. On a beautiful crisp, sunny day he was inaugurated as the 74th Governor of the Commonwealth Virginia. Every Virginian should feel pride in the peaceful turnover of power that continues to be our tradition. We should all wish for our governor, the governor of all Virginians, to have success. That does not mean we have to agree with every policy he advances. [Read more…]

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New Legislation on Elections from 2021

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In four weeks, Virginians will return to the polls for primary contests, including the statewide races for the Democratic ticket for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. On June 8, you have a chance to make your voice heard, and I hope you get out and vote.

With the election on the horizon, I am reminded of all that we accomplished during the 2021 Session. I have the honor of chairing the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections. The General Assembly passed a number of bills to make our elections system more fair, secure, and accessible, and I wanted to highlight a few that will take effect this year. [Read more…]

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Week 7: Final Countdown

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The 2021 Session of the General Assembly is rapidly winding down. We are in the throes of the last week, and we have reached a budget agreement. Many bills remain up in the air.

For the second time in my legislative career, I was involved in the final budget negotiations. [Read more…]

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Week 5: Budget Week

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The 2021 Session is rapidly drawing to a close. Last week we reached crossover, and now the Senate is only considering House bills and the budget. The House of Delegates is considering the budget as well, together with the Senate bills.

Both the House and Senate will adopt versions of the budget today. While preliminary, the Senate budget begins the process of restoring more of the mental health funding that was lost during the pandemic. You will recall that the Governor unallotted a couple billion dollars of spending once the virus wreaked havoc on our economy. Some of the things that I have been working on for a long time, like a loan forgiveness program for mental health professionals and discharge planning for jails with high numbers of inmates with mental health issues, were unallotted. We worked hard to get that vital spending back into the budget.

Other matters, like pay raises for state employees and teachers and funding for school divisions throughout Virginia, are included in the budget, as well as restoring the dental benefit for adult Medicaid patients. [Read more…]

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