March 4th Newsletter
Despite most of the rhetoric that you hear coming from the General Assembly these days, most legislators here try to find common ground on issues where we can. I published an op-ed piece in the Richmond Times Dispatch earlier this week describing our bipartisan efforts this session to address our growing mental health crisis. Those shared efforts include legislation and budget amendments to expand the state’s behavioral health programs, including those that address the troubling rise in opioid addictions and deaths. I am working with several Republican House colleagues to carry bills that create the positions of Suicide Prevention Coordinator within the Virginia Department of Veterans Services and the Special Advisor to the Governor for Health Workforce Development. I have also proposed a budget amendment to create a grant program for private and public behavioral health providers to help address the sharp increase in demand for services following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unfortunately, the House lost one of our legislative aides to a mental health illness earlier this week. This tragedy was a much too poignant reminder that none of us are shielded from the devastating impacts of these maladies. The LA’s work with legislators and constituents throughout the year and the play the most integral role in all that we do. The loss of one of our colleagues was felt deeply by everyone in the General Assembly this week.
On a lighter note, House Democrats and Republicans united against our shared opponent, the Virginia Senate, in the 14th annual Capital Square Classic to benefit Massey Cancer Center basketball game. This year’s game was another hard-fought contest in which the House prevailed. Most importantly, the event raised a record setting $50,000 contribution for Massey Cancer Center. There is still time to make a donation! I invite you all to join me in making a contribution 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
2022 Legislative Session Week 8
There is only one week left in the 2022 Legislative Session. This week we were hard at work in our committees, as this Monday is the deadline for committee action on all legislation. Starting on Tuesday, the only meeting each day will be the House and Senate floor session, which will start an hour or two earlier to accommodate longer dockets. You can see a calendar with all meeting times for the House and Senate online here.
A number of bills, including arguably our most important, the budget (HB30/SB30) are in a Committee of Conference. These committees are established when legislation is amended after it passes its chamber of origin, and the house of origin disagrees with the amendment. For example, when the House passes an amended Senate bill, the bill is then sent back to the Senate where the chamber then votes to either accept or reject the amendment. If the amendment is accepted the bill passes as amended and is then sent to the Governor. If the amendment is rejected, the bill is sent to a Committee of Conference, typically with three members appointed from each legislative body assigned to resolve differences between the versions passed by each chamber. The resolution must be approved by a majority of the members appointed from each chamber before being sent back to each chamber for a full vote. If an agreement cannot be reached amongst members of the conference committee, the bill fails to advance to the Governor.
The budget is slightly different, as more than three members per house are typically appointed. Due to the complex nature of the budget and extent of difference between the House and Senate bills there is also much more work to be completed in a budget conference committee. This year the conferees from the House are Delegates Knight, Austin, Bloxom, Brewer, Torian, and Sickles. The budget conferees from the Senate are Senators Howell, Barker, Hanger, Locke, Lucas, Newman, Norment, and Saslaw. You can see a breakdown of the differences between the House and Senate budget online here.
This week I completed work on all of my introduced legislation. I’m proud that three of my bills HB388, HB400, HB402 have passed the House and Senate and will advance to the Governor’s desk. You can see all my introduced legislation online here and see a bill matrix with updates below.
Virginia DMV Expands Service Center Options
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has expanded services to provide more options to Virginians through a new appointment and queuing system. They will now offer a hybrid model to include both appointments and walk-ins Monday through Friday beginning March 2, at all Customer Service locations. Saturday walk-ins will continue at all locations that are open on Saturdays.
In addition, DMV will continue to provide alternative service options that do not require an in-person visit. More than 50 online services are available through DMVnow. For more information about expanded services and to book remote and on-site appointments please visit this website.
Governor Glenn Youngkin Releases Updated COVID Action Plan
Governor Glenn Youngkin updated Virginia's COVID-19 Action Plan this week to continue the Commonwealth's commitment to providing additional vaccine events throughout the Commonwealth and grant flexibility to health care workers and facilities. Governor Youngkin also recently issued Executive Order 16, which extended emergency flexibilities and added provisions for assisted living facilities.
Shortly after Governor Youngkin’s inauguration, he established and released his COVID-19 Action Plan crafted with his Secretary of Health and Human Resources, John Littel. You can read the full updated plan online here. Key pieces of the updated plan include:
Additional COVID-19 Vacination Events and Initiatives — Governor Youngkin is devoting additional resources and efforts to encouraging the nearly 1.6 million Virginians who are still unvaccinated to get the COVID-19 vaccine and booster. The original plan called for 120 COVID-19 vaccine events across the Commonwealth. As directed, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and VDH deployed resources to significantly increase that number. Between January 20 and February 19, over 1,000 vaccine events occurred. There are 948 events planned through the end of April. Additional Mobile Vaccine Units have also been deployed to rural communities. Since January 1, 2022, VDH has conducted 15 Pharmacy Clinics which focused in areas with low vaccination rates. There are more than 200 mobile events scheduled for first, second, and booster doses through March 2022
Expanded Health Care Flexibility, Support, and Treatment — The Governor signed EO 16 to provide greater flexibility to increase the number of available beds and increasing staffing to care for patients. The plan also includes flexibility for licensed out-of-state nurses and health care professionals to practice in Virginia.
Charting a Path to Normalcy — The Governor’s updated plan states that “As cases and hospitalizations begin to decline, we should individually and collectively consider our own risk tolerance and what precautions we might change as the pandemic evolves. Again, the most important precaution currently available is the vaccine and booster. For some, masking and social distancing are additional steps that they will follow. We should respect that choice. For others, especially those who have been fully vaccinated or have natural immunity, may determine that face-to-face interactions are the best option, and those decisions should be respected too. As a community moving forward, we must respect each other and their ability to determine the level of risk that is appropriate for them.”
Youngkin Administration Eliminates VDOE’s Equity Initiative
On his first day in office Governor Glenn Youngkin signed Executive Order Number One ending the teaching of “inherently divisive concepts” K-12 public schools. The Governor’s Department of Education issued a report this week citing dozens of equity and diversity resources that VDOE argues promote discriminatory and divisive concepts such as critical race theory.
In a statement, Governor Youngkin says, “Our Virginia students should not be taught to discriminate on the basis of sex, skin color, or religion and VDOE policies should certainly not recommend such concepts.” However, the original intent of equity policies was to “dismantle any and all forms of inequity in Virginia’s public education system,” including the disproportionate impact of disciplinary measures such as suspensions on Black students.
The programs the Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jillian Balow, has rescinded or is working to rescind were established under Youngkin’s Democratic predecessor, Ralph Northam. They include a framework called “EdEquityVA” that aimed to eliminate racial and socioeconomic disparities in academic and disciplinary outcomes for students. They also include a website devoted to “culturally responsive” teaching, and a memo that ex-state superintendent James Lane published in 2019 urging teachers to “facilitate meaningful dialogue on racism and bigotry.” Nixed as well is a web seminar series called “Teaching 9/11.”
It is not immediately clear how Superintendent Balow’s report and Youngkin’s Executive Order will affect what is taught in classrooms. Balow wrote in the memo that the administration will need to proactively review policies, practices and pedagogies around the state. She is tasked with submitting another report to the Governor in 60 days.
A Henrico County spokeswoman has indicated that the school division has not received guidance from VDOE on the matter.
Governor and General Assembly Express Support for Ukraine, Boycott of Russian Products
On February 26th, Governor Youngkin ordered the Department of General Services to immediately review all contracts across government to determine what, if any, Virginia tax dollars are spent on goods and services from primarily Russian companies. He also called on the City of Norfolk and the City of Roanoke to end sister city partnerships with Russian cities. Finally, he called on the Virginia Retirement System Board of Trustees and university endowment funds to divest in a prudent and orderly fashion any and all holdings of the Russian Ruble and any and all securities of Russian companies. See more information on the Governor's announcement online here.
I was proud to sign on to two resolutions in support of Ukraine. The first expresses the General Assembly’s strong stance in support of Ukraine’s efforts and denounces Russia for its horrific aggression and unjustified offensive. The second resolution calls for a boycott of Russian goods and services throughout the Commonwealth. You can access them here and here. You can also donate to the Ukrainian Red Cross here.
