February 4th Newsletter
Bills pass, bills fail. That is how things work around here at the General Assembly. I have learned, as they say, not to “fall in love with my bills” in order to avoid too much emotional attachment to a measure that even my friends may not agree with or see the merit of supporting. Of course, up until this year, most of my bills ended up in the win column as I was a member of the majority.
In both the majority and now the minority I have tried to find legislation with bi-partisan support. In this past session, all seven of my bills had strong bi-partisan support. This year, one of my most important bills, HB 353, would enable minors age 14 and older who are homeless and living unaccompanied from their parent/guardian to receive basic medical care such as dental checkups and physicals. These are children who have lost or been abandoned by their families and have not been taken in by foster care or our social services system. When advocates for these children asked me to carry this bill, my initial reaction was why do we need it - are there really any children who do not have a family or are not under the protection of state and local programs? The facts were troubling: the most recent survey information found that there are approximately 3,000 unaccompanied homeless youth in Virginia. And those children are the most vulnerable and highly likely to be victims of sex crimes and human trafficking.
Leader Eileen Filler-Corn is carrying companion legislation, HB 717, to enable these same children in need to find housing. We presented our bills in a Health, Welfare, and Institutions subcommittee yesterday and were joined by children’s advocates and several young people who formerly had been living on the street, in cars, or on friends' couches. Unfortunately, the subcommittee declined to advance my bill but did approve an amended version of the Leader’s bill that now goes to the full committee for review.
Any progress we make in helping these children is important. The frustration here, however, is that we need to do so much more for them and passage of my bill and the original version of the Leader’s bill would have helped to accomplish that. Our legislation also will save lives by providing the children the means to obtain housing and basic medical care until another state or local agency can help them. It is difficult not to be emotionally attached to bills like these.
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
2022 Legislative Session Week 4
Today is day 24 of our 60-day legislative session. The House and Senate are preparing for “Crossover” — the midpoint of our session where bills passed by the House are considered by the Senate and vice versa. February 15th is the last day each chamber has to complete work on our own legislation (except for the budget) before we can only consider legislation passed by the opposite chamber. This means that subcommittee and committee meetings have become much longer as we work through over 1300 bills introduced in the House.
As a reminder, you can follow along with our committee schedules online at bit.ly/vahousecalendar. Committee agendas are typically posted 24 hours in advance of the meeting, at which time you can sign up to provide virtual or in-person testimony. All meetings and floor sessions are also live-streamed online here.
I am proud that my bill HB402 unanimously passed the House Floor on Tuesday (96Y-0N), and HB400 unanimously passed the Committee on General Laws on Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately, my bills HB1228 and HB353 did not advance out of subcommittee this week. HB1228 would have required the Department of Environmental Quality to establish baseline water conditions as a part of its antidegradation analysis.
HB353 was a bill that I worked on with Voices for Virginia’s Children and School House Connection. The bill establishes a process for minors age 14 and older who are homeless and living unaccompanied from their parent/guardian to consent for medical care. This is a hard population to track, but recent estimates suggest that there are about 3,000 children in Virginia living as unaccompanied homeless youth. These children may be sleeping in their cars, at a friend’s home, or in public spaces, such as parks. There are a number of reasons that minors may become unaccompanied including being kicked out of the home by their parents, abandoned by their parents, or if they have a parent who is struggling with mental health challenges or substance abuse. I was disappointed that the bill did not advance through subcommittee, but I am grateful to our coalition partners and the many advocates who came to speak in support of the bill. Majority Leader Eileen Filler-Corn carried a bill (HB717) to allow unaccompanied homeless youth to consent to housing services, which passed the subcommittee late on Thursday night after an amendment.
See the below bill matrix for an update on my proposed legislation. You can see the full version of all of my bills online here, and my budget amendments online here.
15 Henrico Educators Earn National Board Certification
This year, 15 Henrico County Public Schools teachers met the remarkable standard of national board certification. In addition to those earning certification status for the first time, seven teachers renewed their certifications. Becoming certified is a rigorous process. Teachers must submit detailed portfolios to be reviewed by their peers. The portfolios include videos of the candidate's teaching, documented professional accomplishments, reflective essays, and examples of student work. Teachers must also pass an exam relevant to their subject and level of instruction.
The past two years have been incredibly challenging for our educators, as they have needed to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances due to the pandemic. Despite these challenges, this is one of the largest classes of new board-certified teachers in the division’s history. I am so thankful that Henrico has such a dedicated educator workforce and teachers who are willing to go above and beyond to continue their education and better educate their students.
Thank you to our new national board-certified teachers from Henrico County Public Schools:
Melissa Guertin, Crestview E.S.
Audra Vanderland, Crestview E.S.
Jo Collier, Charles Johnson E.S.
Janelle Madison, Charles Johnson E.S.
Amanda Smallwood, Mehfoud E.S.
Brittani Haverly, Raymond Pinchbeck E.S.
Colleen Atilano, Sandston E.S.
Allison Billet, Brookland M.S.
DeVonna Blevins, Short Pump M.S.
Brent Lederer, Deep Run H.S.
Chris Marshall, Douglas Freeman H.S.
Shana Katz, Glen Allen H.S.
Adam Grayson, Glen Allen H.S.
Lynn Farley, Mills Godwin H.S.
Spencer Billett, Highland Springs H.S.
United Way Offering Free Tax Preparation Services for Eligible Families
Two Henrico County libraries will be offering free tax preparation assistance services through the United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. United Way offers its free tax preparation service to area families with household incomes of less than $58,000 and has been doing so for 19 years.
The program will use a combination of 13 tax sites in Henrico, Chesterfield, Charles City, Goochland, Petersburg, and Richmond, as well as online tax preparation services. Sites will follow social distancing guidelines and require masks. The in-person tax sites will operate by appointment only, and spaces may be limited.
The two Henrico locations are:
Fairfield Library, 1401 North Laburnum Avenue, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., from Feb. 19 to Mar. 19;
North Park Library, 8508 Franconia Road, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., from Feb. 2 to Apr. 14.
To make an appointment at either location, call (804) 225-7917 and leave a message with your name and contact number. Calls will be returned within 24 hours. Other locations are listed at YourUnitedWay.org/tax/sites.
Registration for Cap2Cap 2022 Ride Now Open
The CapCenter Cap2Cap presented by Dominion Energy is back for its 17th year and will take place on Friday, May 6th, and Saturday, May 7th, 2022. The ride is an annual event hosted by Virginia Capital Trail Foundation to showcase the Capital Trail — a 51.7-mile multi-use, paved trail that runs from Williamsburg, VA to Richmond, VA.
Riders will experience the scenic Virginia Capital Trail and enjoy a Post-Ride Party at Chickahominy Riverfront Park in Williamsburg, VA on Friday or at Dorey Park in Henrico, VA on Saturday. The ride will use an open-S=start format in 2022 meaning that you can start and finish anywhere on the Virginia Capital Trail. This is a family-friendly event with 7, 23, 52, and 100-mile ride options. See more information and register online at https://www.virginiacapitaltrail.org/.
‘My Henrico Academy’ Program to Help Immigrants Now Accepting Applications
Henrico County is accepting applications for My Henrico Academy, a free program that helps immigrants connect with their local government and community as well as access a host of programs, services, and resources.
My Henrico Academy was first introduced in 2019 to strengthen ties between Henrico County and its immigrant community. Offered with the Asian & Latino Solidarity Alliance of Central Virginia, My Henrico Academy will be held in seven sessions from May through October. The small group will meet from 4 to 8 p.m. on select Wednesdays at locations throughout Henrico to discuss such topics as business and educational opportunities and tips for staying safe and healthy. Applications are due March 2nd. You can apply here.
February is Black History Month
February is Black History Month, an important time to reflect on our nation’s history and celebrate the diversity and achievements that Black Virginians have contributed to our Commonwealth. I want to highlight the words of some of my Black colleagues in the General Assembly who have provided moving points of personal privilege on the House floor in honor of Black History Month. I encourage you to watch the remarks of Delegate Lamont Bagby, Chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, as well as Delegate Nadarius Clark.
I encourage all of my constituents to use this time to learn more about the history of Black Americans in Virginia. I recommend visiting the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts this month for one of their many Black History Month programs and events, as well as the Black History Museum & Cultural Center in Jackson Ward.
