July 22nd Newsletter
Well, the worst kept secret in Richmond is officially out: I do not draft these email newsletters. I also do not respond to hundreds of constituent emails and phone calls and write dozens of letters to the many people who contact my office. The person who actually makes all of that constituent support and interaction happen is my amazing legislative assistant (LA) Colleen Grady.
Colleen joined my office more than two years ago and her first legislative session was during the worst of the COVID pandemic where we convened all of our floor sessions and committee meetings via Zoom. Collen did not miss a beat, jumping into all her constituent support and legislative drafting responsibilities with enthusiasm and excellence. We found a shared passion around addressing mental health issues and she played a critical role in organizing the series of hearings that I led as chair of the House’s Behavioral Health Subcommittee. COVID then brought our office its next set of challenges as hundreds of constituents needed assistance obtaining their unemployment benefits or financial support for their businesses. Colleen became an expert in the unemployment claims and appeal processes while also helping companies navigate the various financial relief programs. This past session we were back in person and she guided our bills and budget amendments through the legislative gauntlet.
Colleen will continue to pursue her interest in behavioral health issues as she joins the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Disability Services as a finance and policy analyst. I will miss having her as my LA but it is easier to accept her departure knowing that she is going to work for Behavioral Health where I know that she will continue to help so many Virginians in need.
In the next newsletter, I will more formally introduce my new LA Julia Billingsley. Colleen assisted me in recruiting Julia and has coordinated her transition into my office. I just hope that Colleen explained to Julia who really gets the work done around 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
Henrico County Bond Referendum — 2022 General Election
Henrico County voters will have the opportunity to participate in a bond referendum to approve more than $511 million in funding for proposed county capital projects — including new and renovated schools, firehouses, and parks — as part of the 2022 general election.
The bond referendum will appear as four questions on the ballot, with a separate question for each project category: schools; recreation and parks; fire stations and public safety facilities; and stormwater drainage. Voters may cast a “yes” or “no” vote for each of the four questions; individual categories can be approved or rejected. Approval of a category by a majority of the votes cast authorizes the county to contract debt and issue its general obligation bonds to fund the projects.
You can watch a video describing each project area online here, and see a map of proposed projects online here. The projects would benefit the entire Henrico County community, spanning all five magisterial districts. The referendum will be held during the 2022 general election. Election day is Tuesday, November 8th, but absentee voting, including early in-person, will begin on Friday, September 23rd. See more information on the bond referendum online at https://henrico.us/bonds.
Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces Updated COVID-19 Quarantine Guidance for Early Childhood Education
Last week, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced updated guidance on quarantine procedures following exposure to COVID-19 in school, child care, and camp settings. This revised guidance outlines that quarantine is no longer routinely recommended after exposure to COVID-19 infected individuals in child care, K-12 schools, and camp settings.
In general, masks are not routinely recommended in these settings, indoors or outdoors, except during isolation. Any individual who wishes to continue to mask, including those who face a higher risk from COVID-19, may do so. Masking is never recommended in these settings while the individual is eating, drinking, sleeping, or for children under the age of 2.
Isolation and Quarantine Guidance:
Symptomatic persons (regardless of vaccination status) should begin isolation at home and undergo testing as recommended by their healthcare providers. The day symptoms began should be counted as day 0.
Persons who test positive (regardless of vaccination status) should isolate themselves at home for at least 5 days. If they are asymptomatic or symptoms are resolving and they have been fever-free for 24 hours, they may return to programming after Day 5, provided:
If the individual is able to mask, they should do so through Day 10.
If the individual is unable or unwilling to mask during this time (including children under age 2), VDH recommends a negative test on or after Day 6 in order to return to programming OR the person should remain home through day 10.
Schools with the resources to do so may consider offering rapid testing on-site to symptomatic individuals and/or distributing at-home rapid antigen test kits for testing at home. If a student has become sick at school, arrange for the student to be picked up, while the student waits in a separate isolation room/area.
For exposed but asymptomatic persons (regardless of vaccination status), quarantine is no longer recommended for the above settings. These individuals may continue to attend programming as long as they remain asymptomatic.
In a press release, the Governor stated “Earlier in the year, individuals were encouraged to consider their own risk tolerance and determine what precautions made sense for them and their families. Today, vaccines, tests, and treatments continue to be readily available and, at the same time, hospitalization rates are low and the number of Virginians with natural immunity has increased. As such, it is again timely for individuals, families, and employers to re-evaluate which precautions are appropriate to them.”
View the full updated COVID-19 guidance online here.
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) Partnering With Employers to Develop More Internships for Virginia Students
The Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) is a new statewide initiative to facilitate the readiness of employers, students, and institutions of higher education to significantly increase the opportunities for work-based learning in Virginia. Work-based learning includes internships, apprenticeships, cooperative education (co-ops), and less formal activities such as job shadowing, mentoring, and tours of corporate facilities.
Using funding from the General Assembly, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) is developing and implementing V-TOP. In addition to an employer readiness toolkit developed in collaboration with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, each region of the Commonwealth will soon offer supportive services to assist businesses to start high-quality internship programs.
Colleges and universities are also partnering in the effort to ensure that students are well-prepared to get the most out of their experiences. With a recent funding increase, V-TOP will provide even more support and resources to employers, including matching funds to pay intern wages and assistance in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring interns.
In the Richmond region, Virginia Commonwealth University and Chamber RVA were awarded a grant in 2021 and they are already collaborating to help employers and students. Contact them to learn more.
With the goal to create 100,000 new work-based learning opportunities by 2033, V-TOP supports Virginia’s mission to be the top state for business, education, and workforce talent.
Virginia Tourism Corporation Offers Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Grants Program for Small Businesses
The Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) is offering a reimbursable grant program to assist small tourism-related businesses and bolster non-peak seasonal visitation. The grant application period opens on August 4th, 2022, with applications due by 5 p.m. on September 20th, 2022.
Eligible applicants should be tourism-related businesses that have 20 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and can include, but are not limited to boutique retail shops; food trucks; attractions; craft breweries; distilleries; wineries; boutique lodging and B&Bs; outfitters; and events and festivals focused on attracting visitors during low visitation times.
Examples of eligible marketing expenses include but are not limited to digital advertising; social media boosts and sponsored ads; print advertising; hiring of photographers and videographers; rack cards, printing and placement costs at Virginia Welcome Centers and Safety Rest Areas; and display and promotional materials for trade shows and events. Components of the grant program include:
Who is eligible: Small tourism-related business with 20 or fewer full-time equivalent employees that can include but are not limited to boutique retail; restaurants; food trucks; attractions; craft breweries; distilleries; wineries; boutique lodging and B&Bs; outfitters; and events/festivals focused on non-peak seasonal visitation.
Additional eligibility: Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), and groups such as Planning District Commissions, Economic Development Authorities (EDA’s), and Main Street organizations.
Application Requirements: A targeted and research-based marketing plan that demonstrates how applicants will use the grant money for marketing and promotions to fulfill the purposes of the grant program.
Match Requirement: 1:1 cash or in-kind marketing match.
Maximum Award: $5,000
Application Period: Opens: August 4, 2022, at 9 a.m. Closes: September 20, 2022, at 5 p.m.
How to Apply: www.vatc.org/grants
For information and questions, please contact Staci Martin at smartin@virginia.org or call 757-390-7330.
VDH and ODW Launch Voluntary Statewide Lead Testing Program
Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) Office of Drinking Water (ODW) announced the launch of a statewide voluntary Lead Testing in Drinking Water at Schools and Child Care Centers in Virginia program. This free program will test for lead in drinking water in select Virginia public schools and child care centers.
The purpose of this program, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is to help Virginia public schools and child care centers identify lead occurrences in their drinking water and reduce exposure. Currently, the program has approximately $1.1 million in funding, which will be able to collect and analyze 40,000 samples. Virginia public schools (K-12) and child care centers interested in participating in this program should enroll at leadinvawater.org. Selected schools/child care centers will be notified by the VDH team.
Selection to the program is based on available funding with prioritization based upon the affordability criteria established by the state under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), to include schools with at least 50% of the children receiving free and reduced lunch and head start facilities. Priority will also be given to elementary schools and child care centers that primarily serve children 6 years and under and older facilities that are more likely to contain lead plumbing. To learn more about this program visit leadinvawater.org or email info@leadinvawater.org.
Richmond & Henrico Health Districts Launches Interest Form for Monkey Pox Vaccination; Begins Vaccinating Eligible Populations
After receiving a shipment of about 160 JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccines on July 19th, Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) started on Wednesday to vaccinate individuals who may be at higher risk of monkeypox exposure who have not had contact with a known positive case. RHHD is also launching an interest form for individuals in Richmond and Henrico to express interest in receiving a monkeypox vaccine. Individuals can fill out the interest form by visiting rhhd.gov/monkeypoxvax or by calling 804-205-3501.
Monkeypox is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus that results in a rash or lesions and is spread through close person-to-person contact. As of May 2022, the CDC has reported the disease in several countries that have not historically seen monkeypox cases. Although most, but not all, cases of monkeypox associated with the current 2022 outbreak have been identified in gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men (MSM), anyone, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, can get monkeypox if they have close contact with someone infected with the virus. While it is important to identify which communities are most impacted by a disease for prevention efforts, it is never acceptable to use the transmission of disease to stigmatize or hold biases against a community.
Prior to this week, RHHD only offered vaccines as post-exposure prophylaxis to high- and some intermediate-risk close contacts of known monkeypox cases. Vaccines are now beginning to be offered to adults with certain risk factors that increase their likelihood of becoming exposed to monkeypox. RHHD is starting the vaccination process with a few appointments today for high-risk individuals identified through community outreach.
Filling out the interest form will add an individual to a list to potentially receive a monkeypox vaccine in the future depending on risk factors and the available supply. Because vaccination supply remains limited, monkeypox vaccination is not guaranteed by filling out the interest form. Examples of individuals who are eligible to get vaccinated include:
Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and have had multiple or anonymous sexual partners;
Transgender women and nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have sex with men and have had multiple or anonymous sexual partners;
Sex workers;
Staff at establishments where sexual activity occurs; and
People who attend sex-on-premises venues.
For more information on monkeypox and prevention, visit rhhd.gov/monkeypox or call 804-205-3501.
Community Events
Eid al-Adha Festival at the Ismaili Jamatkhana in Glen Allen
I had a wonderful time celebrating Eid al-Adha at a festival at the new Glen Allen Jamatkhana in Glen Allen. Eid al-Adha is also known as the “Feast of Sacrifice” and is the second and bigger of the two Eid celebrations in Islam. It was an honor to celebrate with our community members and enjoy incredible food, music, and dancing.
With Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg during a traditional Afghani dance at the festival.
Claude Moore Charitable Foundation Virginia Human Services Workforce Workshop
Last week, I participated in the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation’s Virginia Human Services Workforce Workshop. As Vice-Chair of the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (VHWDA), growing and strengthening Virginia’s health care workforce is one of my top priorities. The event brought together stakeholders in the Human Services workforce, including Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel and Secretary of Labor Bryan Slater, and former Secretaries Dr. Dan Carey, Dr. Bill Hazel, and Megan Healy.
Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander (VAAPI) Caucus Fundraiser with Rep. Andy Kim
This week I attended the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus event with special guest Congressman Andy Kim. Kim represents New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district and is the first Democratic member of Congress of Korean descent. It was a privilege to attend such a great event with incredible leaders in Virginia.
With Delegate Irene Shin, House Minority Leader Don Scott, and Delegate Kathy Tran.
