2020 General Assembly Session Newsletter
I am deeply honored and humbled that you elected me to represent you in the Virginia House of Delegates for the 73rd district. On Wednesday, January 8th, I was sworn into office and the 2020 General Assembly session kicked off.
VPM recorded me on move in day as I set up my new office in the Pocahontas Building. You can hear the piece by clicking here. The Henrico Citizen also wrote a piece about my legislative priorities leading up to the Session which you can read here.
Serving and representing my constituents is my greatest responsibility and I pledge to do my best in delivering on the priorities that you made clear to me during the many months of my campaign. Already, I have heard from over 300 constituents and I deeply appreciate everyone taking the time to contact me.
There are a number of legislative items that I am excited to work on and hopefully get passed this Session. They include eliminating surprise medical billing, reducing prescription drug costs, raising teacher salaries, expanding pre-school to at- risk three and four year olds, increasing the number of school counselors and support staff, expanding workers rights while maintaining Virginia’s business friendly environment, passing no-excuse early voting, and passing anti-discrimination laws to name just a few. 2020 will be a very busy year for the legislature!
I am excited about several bills that I have introduced around the environment, education, and economic development. I have listed a few of my bills below.
HB 232- This bill would request the Department of Elections to provide voter registration forms to the colleges whose students receive Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant money. This expands access to voting for our student population.
HB 967- Military families move frequently depending on where they are stationed and this can present a burden to military spouses who rely on occupational and professional licenses for their employment. This bill enhances Virginia's existing expedited process for military spouse licensure to include spouses of service members stationed in surrounding states and DC, as well as those mobilized by the Virginia National Guard.
HB 672-The goal of this bill is to prevent and minimize actions that contribute to climate change in the Commonwealth. The bill requires state agencies to examine the possible impact on climate change of any new regulation or policy that uses state funds prior to its adoption.
HB 1400- This bill requires the Board of Education, in establishing high school graduation requirements, to permit English as a second language (ESL) courses to satisfy credit requirements for graduation.
HB 1553- There are companies that work with individuals who are in debt to attempt to negotiate a settlement with creditors for an amount less than the total balance. Currently in Virginia, these companies are unregulated and can charge exorbitant fees and are not bound to ethical standards. This bill would introduce a licensing process for these companies to register and adhere to standards, and introduce fee caps so those already facing financial burden are not taken advantage of by these bad actors.
You can view all bills that have been introduced and view my additional bills by visiting Virginia's bill tracking system, lis.virginia.gov.
Part of my responsibility as your Delegate is to serve on committees to which I’ve been assigned. I am glad to be a member of two committees this year:
Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee
Health, Welfare, and Institutions
After an inauguration ceremony this past Sunday, I was happy to spend the afternoon with other area legislators at the Mosque community hall in Henrico. Senator Jennifer McClellan, Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg and I took questions from constituents on a wide variety of topics ranging from healthcare affordability, education funding, and redistricting.
I love to hear from my constituents and have a number of channels through which you can reach me:
Email: delrwillett@house.virginia.gov
Phone: 804-698-1073
Office: Pocahontas Building,900 East Main Street, Office E313, Richmond, VA 23218
Stay up to date throughout the session by signing up for this newsletter or following me on Facebook. You can watch the livestream of session at: https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/chamber/chamberstream.php
Again, it is an honor to represent you in the Virginia House of Delegates and I look forward to hearing from you throughout Session.
Sincerely,
Rodney Willett
