December 10th Newsletter
I very much appreciate the condolences that so many of you shared following the recent deaths of my father and my wife’s younger sister. They both were a significant part of my life, right up until their passing. My father, Dr. Henry I. Willett, Jr., is best known as a teacher of teachers and for having served as the president of Longwood University for almost fourteen years. His public service and commitment to education excellence certainly were inspirations to me throughout my life and especially as I began to consider running for public office. And my family and I were so fortunate that my dad remained mentally sharp and focused on the issues of the day right up until his death: the day after my re-election, I visited him in an assisted living facility and the first question he asked me was whether I had won by a higher or lower vote percentage than in 2019! See his obituary online here.
My sister in law, April Pulley Sayre, was an award winning writer of children’s natural sciences books and a regular speaker to school groups across the country on the wildlife and environments that she features in her books. April was a passionate nature lover and amazingly creative - who else could make a book about black vultures so captivating to children (and any adults reading along with them) and still convey so much information in just a few hundred words. I became an advocate for protecting the environment mostly because of my time spent with April. See more information on April's life online here.
If you have any questions or need assistance with a state agency, please contact my office at delrwillett@house.virginia.gov or phone at 804-698-1073, and a member of my staff will be happy to assist you. I also will continue to keep you informed with relevant, accurate information via Twitter, Facebook, and my website. Please stay well and stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Rodney
New Information
Governor Northam Begins “Thank You, Virginia” Tour Previewing 2022 Budget Proposal, Including Pay Raises for Law Enforcement and Teachers
On Monday, Governor Ralph Northam launched his statewide “Thank You, Virginia” tour. Throughout the week he has traveled across the Commonwealth and announced parts of his proposal for the 2022 - 2024 biennium budget. The Governor will release his full proposed budget on Thursday, December 16th in a presentation to the House and Senate money committees. The General Assembly and Governor-Elect Youngkin will have the ultimate say over what is included in the final budget that we will pass this spring, but we will begin our work from Governor Northam’s proposed spending. See below for more information on the proposed budget:
Teacher Pay Raise — Northam announced plans for a 10% pay increase for teachers. Virginia has already increased teacher salaries by more than 10 percent under Governor Northam—the largest increase in 15 years. This latest raise will push Virginia’s teacher pay above the national average. The proposal will increase compensation 5 percent a year in each of the next two budget years, for a cumulative increase of 10.25 percent. When matched by local funds, the increase will push compensation for the typical Virginia teacher above the national average.
Raises for Public Safety Officers — The proposed two year budget will include more than $223 million in increased funding for state troopers, correctional officers, deputy sheriffs, and regional jail officials. Under the proposal, newly-sworn state troopers will receive a 7.7 percent pay raise; the starting salary for new correction officers will increase by 25 percent; and the average entry-level salary for deputy sheriffs and regional jail officials will increase by approximately 20 percent. The Governor’s budget also includes significant funding to address pay compression and provides additional raises to a range of targeted officers and sworn personnel. Virginia gave one-time bonuses of $3,000 to $5,000 to public safety officials in 2021, in addition to a one-time bonus of $500 in 2020.
Increased Funding for Outdoor Recreation — The proposed budget will include nearly $245 million for outdoor recreation and protection of Virginia’s world-renowned natural lands. The new funding will help to significantly expand Virginia’s network of regional trails, Virginia State Parks, and the Office of Outdoor Recreation. This funding will go towards supporting existing trails as well as developing new trails like the Eastern Shore, Shenandoah, and Fall Line trails. Outdoor recreation employs more than 197,000 people and contributes an estimated $22 billion to our economy. This industry also generates $1.2 billion in state and local tax revenues. Visitation to Virginia State Parks increased 13 percent in 2020, with nearly 8 million visits. Some of the Commonwealth’s natural area preserves doubled the number of visitors compared to pre-pandemic numbers, and these increases have continued in 2021.
Funding for HBCUs — Governor Northam continued his “Thank You, Virginia” Tour announcing that his proposed two-year state budget will increase funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to record numbers. The proposal also raises the Tuition Assistance Grant to $5,000 from $4,000. TAG helps Virginia students attend private colleges, including HBCUs. The Governor’s proposal includes the creation of an unprecedented HBCU Opportunity Fund, to provide scholarships for students at Virginia’s eligible private HBCUs. Virginia Union University and Hampton University together will receive $10 million per year. Governor Northam is proposing $277 million in funding for operating costs and building construction at Virginia’s two public HBCUs. Norfolk State University will receive $164 million and Virginia State University will receive $113 million. The total budget amount going to Virginia’s HBCUs is $297 million.
COVID-19 Updates in Virginia
COVID-19 cases are rising again following decreasing late fall temperatures and an increase in social gatherings from the Thanksgiving holiday. This increase comes after a steady decline of cases throughout the fall, reaching as low as an average of 1,250 in early November. The daily average of cases in the state has risen almost 80% in the past week and a half to 2,374 — the highest figure since mid-October. Health officials warn that as the holiday season continues and temperatures continue to decline, we could see cases continue to increase.
The best way to protect yourself and our community from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. Vaccination is safe, effective, and accessible. The CDC recommends everyone ages 5 and up be vaccinated and every adult 18 and up receive a booster. Boosters are available for Johnson & Johnson recipients two months after their first shot and for Pfizer and Moderna recipients six months after the second shot. On Thursday, the FDA also authorized Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine boosters for 16- and 17-year-olds. As with adults, 16- and 17-year-olds are eligible to receive a booster dose six months after their second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
You can see information on COVID-19 cases in Virginia online here. Sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine online at vaccinate.virginia.gov.
Surgeon General Report on Children’s Mental Health Crisis
This week, U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory calling for swift action to respond to a growing mental health crisis among youth that has worsened due to stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health challenges were the leading cause of disability and poor life outcomes in young people, with up to 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 in the US with a reported mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder. Since the pandemic began, rates of psychological distress among young people, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders, have increased.
As Chair of the House Behavioral Health Subcommittee, one of my main legislative priorities has been increasing access to mental health care for Virginians. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I have spoken with countless providers and pediatricians who have warned of increasing rates of mental health concerns among young Virginians. We will not be able to solve this problem overnight, but we can all take steps to educate ourselves about this rising public health threat and ways to support those who are struggling. I encourage you all to read the full Surgeon General’s advisory report online here. I look forward to working with my colleagues to better support Virginia’s children and reduce the number of adolescents struggling with mental health challenges.
Governor Releases Virginia’s First Coastal Resilience Master Plan
This week, Governor Northam released the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan, providing a foundational and fundamental step towards protecting Virginia’s coast. The Plan was a requirement of Executive Order 24, issued by Northam in 2018 to increase the Commonwealth’s resilience to sea-level rise and natural hazards. Virginia's coastal areas face significant impacts from rising sea levels and increased storm flooding. The Commonwealth, regional, and local entities must take meaningful and continuous action to ensure the long-term sustainability of Virginia’s coastal resources and communities.
Earlier this year, the Commonwealth worked with 2,000 stakeholders to build the Coastal Resilience Master Plan. This plan documents which land is exposed to coastal flooding hazards now and into the future, as well as the impacts of those future scenarios on coastal Virginia’s community resources and manmade and natural infrastructure.
The Master Plan concluded that between 2020 and 2080:
The number of residents living in homes exposed to extreme coastal flooding is projected to grow from approximately 360,000 to 943,000, an increase of 160%;
The number of residential, public, and commercial buildings exposed to an extreme coastal flood is projected to increase by almost 150%, from 140,000 to 340,000, while annualized flood damages increase by 1,300% from $0.4 to $5.1 billion;
The number of miles of roadways exposed to chronic coastal flooding is projected to increase from 1,000 to nearly 3,800 miles, an increase of nearly 280%; and
An estimated 170,000 acres, or 89%, of existing tidal wetlands and 3,800 acres, or 38%, of existing dunes and beaches may be permanently inundated, effectively lost to open water.
The Coastal Resiliency Database and Web Explorer is a publicly available database that shows the impact of coastal flood hazards, current and proposed resilience projects, as well as funding sources. This database will serve as a vital tool to support resilience efforts at the state, regional, and local levels.
The Commonwealth intends to develop successive updates of the Master Plan on at least a five-year cycle, managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation in consultation with the Chief Resilience Officer, the Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).
The next phase of the Master Plan is anticipated by 2024 and will aim to address recommendations of the TAC to broaden the analysis of natural hazards by including rainfall-driven, riverine, and compound flooding, expand and improve the inventory of resilience projects. by continuing to add efforts and working with project owners to better understand the benefits of projects, and extend this critical work beyond the coastal region to encompass statewide resilience needs. See more information online here.
Supreme Court Releases Potential Redistricting Maps — Online Public Comment Hearings on December 15th and 17th
On Wednesday evening, the Supreme Court of Virginia released proposed maps for the redistricting of Virginia’s House of Delegates, State Senate, and Congressional districts. You can view the maps either in PDF or interactive GIS format online here.
As a reminder, after the voter-approved bipartisan redistricting commission failed to reach an agreement on new maps, the Supreme Court is now tasked with redrawing the maps. The Court selected Sean Trende, a senior elections analyst for RealClearPolitics and a visiting scholar of the American Enterprise Institute, and Bernard Grofman, a professor of political science at the University of California to serve as special masters to assist the court in drawing new districts.
The special masters submitted maps which the Court must approve. The Court will hold two online public hearings to receive public comments on the plans on December 15th and 17th from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. To participate in the hearings, please email Redistricting@vacourts.gov and indicate that you would like to offer public comment and specify which date you prefer. The email must include the requester’s name and email address and indicate in what area of the Commonwealth of Virginia the person resides. In response, a meeting link will be sent by email in advance of the hearing to the email address provided. Requests to participate must be received at least 24 hours before the start of the public hearing. Members of the public will be emailed instructions on what to expect and how to participate. Individuals will be invited to speak on a first-come, first-served basis based on their sign-in time.
You can also provide written public comments through email to Redistricting@vacourts.gov, which will be posted through the “Public Comments” link on the Court’s website. Written comments must be submitted by 1:00 pm on December 20th to be considered by the Court.
Henrico County Manager Delivers Annual “State of the County” Address
On Thursday morning, Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas delivered his annual “State of the County” address at the Hilton Richmond Hotel and Spa in Short Pump. You can watch the full remarks online here.
Vithoulkas’s fiscal year 2022-23 budget includes a proposed 2-cent (per $100 of assessed value) dividend, based upon current property valuations. It also will include a 2-cent tax decrease for the coming year, knocking the real estate tax down to 85 cents per $100 of assessed value. The county’s strong financial situation makes both the dividend and tax-rate decrease possible. Henrico has a general fund balance (often known as a “rainy day” fund) of $413 million – its largest ever, and an amount that is equivalent to about 40% of the county’s annual expenses. Vithoulkas also indicated that his budget will include “substantive” employee pay raises and tax relief for seniors, among other initiatives.
During the address, Vithoulkas praised the county’s fiscally conservative approach to the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the factors contributing to Henrico’s financial success. You can listen to the full address on YouTube online here.
VanValkenburg Willett Legislative Fellowship for High School Students
Last week, Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg and I announced a new Legislative Fellowship for high school students interested in learning more about Virginia state government. Eight high school students will be selected (four from HD-72, and four from HD-73) to join me and Delegate VanValkenburg at the General Assembly on January 26th, 2021. Students will have the opportunity to meet with legislators, policymakers, advocates, and journalists to learn more about Virginia state government.
The deadline for all applicants is Wednesday, December 22nd at 5:00 PM EST. The fellowship program will take place on Wednesday, January 26th from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM. This program is free to all students. Apply online at bit.ly/22sessionfellowship.
