Newsletter: General Assembly 2020 Special Session
Outside of serving in the House of Delegates, I have spent most of the past 10 years working for Impact Makers, a Richmond based management and technology consulting company. Impact Makers is a certified B Corp and social enterprise that contributes all of its profits to charity over the life of the company. Since 2006, we have contributed over $3.2 million in direct financial support and pro bono services to our community partners.
When I joined Impact Makers in its infancy, we were less than ten people and had no idea whether our social impact business model would succeed. But, through the team’s hard work and commitment, we made a difference for our clients and our community partners. And we inspired other companies to use the power of business to make the world a better place.
Now, after almost a decade with the company, I am leaving Impact Makers. I will be continuing my advocacy for those in need as a member of the House of Delegates and through my involvement in a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout the Commonwealth.
Although it is difficult to close a chapter of one’s life, I look forward to having more time to spend in my role as a member of the House of Delegates and I am eager to continue the progress our legislature has made over the past year. Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss the challenges that you may be facing during this difficult time. This has been an incredibly challenging year for so many Virginians, and I am committed to developing legislative solutions to provide relief to those who are struggling.
I will continue to keep you informed with relevant, accurate information via Twitter, Facebook, and my website. Please email my office at delrwillett@house.virginia.gov or call us at 804-698-1173 if you have any questions or need assistance.
Sincerely,
Rodney
New Information
Voting Information
Over 1.5 million Virginians have requested an absentee ballot or cast their vote for the 2020 General Election! Thanks to legislation passed by the General Assembly last session you no longer need an excuse to vote absentee by mail or absentee in-person. If you would like to vote absentee in-person, simply visit your local registrar’s office with a valid form of identification. Here are the locations and times to vote absentee in-person in Henrico County:
Western Government Center
4301 E Parham Rd
Richmond, VA 23228
Monday - Friday — 8:00 am - 4:30pm
Eastern Government Center
3820 Nine Mile Rd
Richmond, VA 23223
Monday - Friday — 8:00 am - 4:30pm
If you are voting by mail, I highly encourage you to track the status of your ballot online via the Department of Elections Citizen Portal. Click “Check registration status” and enter in your voting information to see the status of your mail-in ballot. Because of legislation passed during the special session, ballot Drop boxes now are available at the Eastern and Western Henrico Government offices. The boxes are accessible 24 hours a day so that voters can drop off ballots at any time. See more information on Henrico County’s ballot drop boxes online here.
New ballot drop boxes at the Eastern and Western Henrico County Government Centers.
Upcoming Deadlines
The deadline to register to vote for the November election is October 13th at 5:00 pm.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Friday, October 23rd at 5:00 pm.
The last day to vote absentee in-person is Saturday, October 31st at 5:00 pm.
For more information on registering to vote, requesting a mailed absentee ballot, or voting absentee in-person please visit the Department of Elections website. If you have any questions about voting, please do not hesitate to contact my office at delrwillett@house.virginia.gov.
Constitutional Amendments on the Ballot This Year
I have heard from many constituents asking for more information on the two constitutional amendments that Virginians will be voting on this year. In Virginia, Amendments must be approved by the General Assembly in two consecutive sessions before going to voters. Here is a little more information on the amendments on this year’s ballot:
Amendment 1
Amendment 1, if passed, would create a redistricting commission consisting of eight members of the General Assembly and eight citizens of the Commonwealth that is responsible for drawing our congressional and state legislative districts. Under the current constitution, the General Assembly and the Governor are responsible for
drawing new election districts for the U.S. House of Representatives, the state Senate, and the House of Delegates.
There has been significant debate and discussion on this constitutional amendment. I encourage you to review the information available before you cast your vote. Here are a few resources you may find useful in learning more about this amendment:
Op-Ed from Delegate Cia Price in opposition to the amendment
Column from Brian Cannon, Director of FairMapsVA in support of the amendment
Amendment 2
Amendment 2, if passed would exempt disabled veterans from paying motor vehicle property taxes. Currently in Virginia, some localities offer property tax exemptions for disabled veterans, however, most do not, and amongst the localities that do offer exemptions, the amount offered and which veterans are covered varies widely from locality to locality. Veterans who move between localities and are subject to different property tax standards and exemptions.
General Assembly Special Session
The General Assembly is still hard at work in our special session on COVID-19 relief and criminal justice reforms. The House and Senate money committees are close to reaching an agreement on the revised two-year state budget. The economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have left our Commonwealth with a $2.8 billion revenue shortfall that we have been working to close while providing additional relief for our schools, health care providers, and other individuals and industries which have been impacted by the pandemic.
Our two chambers also have been working to reach compromises on many of our bills. Here are a few pieces of legislation I would like to highlight that have been both the House and Senate have passed and will make their way to the Governor’s desk for his approval:
HB5029 (Co-Patron) — Requires that any law-enforcement officer who witnesses another law-enforcement officer engaging or attempting to engage in the unlawful use of force against another person shall intervene, when such intervention is objectively reasonable and possible, to end the unlawful use or attempted unlawful use of force, or to prevent the further unlawful use of force.
HB5108 (Chief Co-Patron) — Changes the membership of the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DJCS) Criminal Justice Services Board and its Committee on Training to include representatives of civil rights organizations, representatives of community interests of minorities, and a representative of a mental health service provider. The bill also requires that the Committee on Training serve as an advisory board to the Department of Criminal Justice Services for addressing the compulsory minimum training standards for law-enforcement professionals. DJCS is the agency that works on planning and carrying out programs and initiatives to improve our criminal justice system.
HB5069 (Co-Patron) — Makes it a Class 6 felony for a law-enforcement officer to use a neck restraint in the performance of his official duties. The bill defines "neck restraint" as the use of any body part or object to attempt to control or disable a person by applying pressure against the neck, including the trachea or carotid artery, with the purpose, intent, or effect of controlling or restricting the person's movement or restricting the person's blood flow or breathing, including chokeholds, carotid restraints, and lateral vascular neck restraints.
HB5051 — Requires any sheriff, chief of police, or agency administrator to notify the Criminal Justice Services Board in writing within 48 hours of becoming aware that any certified law-enforcement or jail officer currently employed by the agency has been terminated for engaging in misconduct, as set forth in the bill. The bill requires the Board to initiate decertification proceedings against any current or former law enforcement or jail officer who has engaged in such activities.
SB5014 — Sets minimum training standards for law enforcement officers and crisis intervention team training. Requires all law-enforcement officers involved in a crisis intervention team program to complete a comprehensive advanced training course developed by the Department of Criminal Justice Services.
SB5029 — Changes from a primary offense to a secondary offense the possession of marijuana and the traffic infractions of operating a motor vehicle. This bill is intended to help to prevent racially-motivated pretextual traffic stops.
SB5083 — Requires each school board to post information on its website outlining its strategies for mitigating the spread and public health risk of the COVID-19 virus, consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and the Virginia Department of Health mitigation recommendations.
This is just a small sample of the legislation that we have passed for this special session. See online here for a full list of bills passed.
HCPS Free Meal Distribution
This Thursday, I had the pleasure of visiting Johnson Elementary School to see how HCPS staff are working to distribute free meals to students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The county has distributed tens of thousands of meals since the start of this school year. Healthy nutrition is a crucial part of our students’ ability to work and learn throughout the school day. Free meals are available to ALL students, regardless of income level, and can be picked up by a parent at a variety of locations throughout the county. To see more information on HCPS meal distribution and pick-up locations please visit https://henricoschools.us/returntoschool/.
CARES Act Funding
This week, Governor Northam announced the allocation of additional federal CARES Act funds to support our school districts, broadband development projects, and the Virginia Rent and Mortgage Relief Program (RMRP). Here is a breakdown of the allocation of these federal funds:
$220 million to help K-12 public schools in Virginia. The funding will support COVID-19 preparedness and response measures for the 2020–2021 school year, including testing supplies, personal protective equipment, sanitization, and technology for distance learning. Funding will be distributed to all 132 public school districts using an allocation formula of $175 per pupil based on fall enrollment, with a minimum of $100,000 for each school division. See more information here.
$30 million to improve broadband access in underserved localities. Localities must apply for the funding, and eligible projects are those able to be completed within the time constraints on spending federal dollars, which means more Virginians could get connected to high-speed, broadband internet by the end of the year. The program will launch Friday, October 9, and only localities are eligible to apply for funding. Additional information will be provided to local chief administrative officers. Detailed program and application information will be made available at commonwealthconnect.virginia.gov
$12 million to Virginia’s Rent and Mortgage Relief Program (RMRP) to meet the high demand for financial assistance. The program assists households and landlords with rent and mortgage payments to avoid eviction or foreclosure due to COVID-19. See more information online here.
Hispanic Heritage Month Qué Pasa Festival
The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is hosting their annual Qué Pasa Festival virtually this year. Visit https://quepasafestival.com/ for more information on this year’s event, including entertainment, food, and arts. This is a great opportunity to support Hispanic businesses and learn more about the vibrant and diverse Hispanic community in our Commonwealth.
