September 24th Newsletter
This week I was honored to welcome Congresswoman Gabby Giffords to Henrico County. Giffords has been a national leader on gun violence prevention, and her visit to Virginia is an important reminder of the work still needed to prevent gun violence in the Commonwealth. When I first ran for office in 2019, I spoke with thousands of constituents in the 73rd district, from all political parties, who were ready to see Virginia pass meaningful reforms to keep our communities safe. In the past two years, we have delivered on this promise by passing seven gun violence prevention bills, including enforcing universal background checks and a one-gun-per-month limit on the number of guns an individual may purchase.
Unfortunately, the same week Congresswoman Giffords came to Henrico, we received news of devastating shootings in Memphis, Newport News, and multiple gun violence incidents in the Richmond area. Some researchers have suggested that rising stress levels brought on by the pandemic and economic recession and an increase in the number of guns on the street have contributed to the increase in shootings over the past year. Purchases of firearms spiked during the pandemic, and remain high. More guns were purchased in 2020 than any previous year.
Congresswoman Giffords' visit reminded me of the lasting trauma that gun violence survivors and their family members carry with them for the rest of their lives. It is crucial that we continue the progress that we have made on gun violence prevention, and help prevent future tragedy and trauma for Virginians.
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
Virginia Redistricting Commission Releases First Preliminary Maps
The bipartisan Virginia Redistricting Commission, a constitutionally created body approved by voters as a ballot referendum in the 2020 election, has released the first set of preliminary maps to the public. The Commission consists of eight citizens and eight lawmakers, selected by legislative leadership and equally represented by political party. Two political consultants, one Democrat, and one Republican, were hired by the Commission to aid in the production of legislative maps for the House and Senate.
You can see the preliminary maps for the House and Senate by both consultants via the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) online here. It is important to note that the Commission has not yet completed its work and that revisions to these maps are expected before the General Assembly either accepts or rejects the proposal. Should the General Assembly vote down the Commission’s final maps, the Supreme Court of Virginia will be tasked with drawing new ones.
The Commission is required to submit maps for the General Assembly by October 10th and required to submit Congressional district maps by October 25th. The Commission meets regularly, and all meetings are recorded and streamed online to the public. You can view a schedule of upcoming meetings online here.
Early Voting Has Begun! How to Cast Your Vote in the 2021 Election
Early voting began for the 2021 General Election last week! I have been thrilled to speak with so many constituents in the 73rd district who have already cast their ballot and made their voice heard in this election.
I was honored to welcome Congresswoman Gabby Giffords to Henrico County this week for an Early-Vote Meet and Greet with Delegate Dawn Adams and Attorney General Mark Herring. Congresswoman Giffords has been a national leader on gun violence prevention and turned a personal tragedy into a national movement for a safer country. It was an honor to meet with her and speak with voters in Henrico County about the issues that are important to them in this year’s election. Giffords’ final message to those of us attending the Henrico gathering was “Vote, vote, vote!”
See below for more information on how to vote this year and important dates for the upcoming election. Virginia requires voters to show proof of identification when voting, this includes a driver’s license, voter registration card, military ID, and passport, among others. See a full list of acceptable identification online here.
In-Person Early Voting: Friday, September 17th - Saturday, October 30th
Monday - Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 am, Saturday, October 23rd and October 30th, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
If you live in Henrico County, you can vote early at the Western Government Center (4305 E. Parham Rd) and the Eastern Government Center (3820 Nine Mile Rd). If you are not in Henrico County, find your General Registrar’s office online here.
Vote by Mail: Request a ballot online here. The deadline to request a vote by mail ballot is Friday, October 22 by 5:00 pm.
You can return your ballot by mail, hand-deliver it to your general registrar’s office, or use a ballot drop box (see Henrico drop box locations online here)
Mail-in ballots must be hand-delivered to your registrar or returned in a drop box by Election Day, November 2nd when polls close at 7:00 pm. If you mail your ballot it must be postmarked by Election Day and be received by the registrar by November 5th at 12:00 pm.
Register to Vote/Update Registration: The deadline to register to vote or update your registration for the November 2021 election is October 11th at 5:00 pm at your registrar’s office or by 11:59 pm online. Visit vote.elections.virginia.gov/voterinformation to register or update your registration.
Election Day: As always, you can vote in person on Election Day, November 2nd, from 6:00 am - 7:00 pm at your polling location. Find your polling location online here.
Governor Releases August 2021 Revenue Report
This week Governor Northam and Secretary of Finance Joe Flores released the August 2021 revenue report, announcing that total General Fund revenues rose 18.9 percent last month. This news is an indicator of the strength of our Commonwealth’s recovery from the pandemic, especially considering that August is not traditionally a strong month for revenue collections.
On a year-to-date basis, collections of payroll withholding taxes—62 percent of General Fund revenues—were up 9.6 percent, higher than the annual estimate of a 1.7 percent increase. Sales tax collections—17 percent of General Fund revenues—grew 14.3 percent year-to-date, ahead of the forecast of a 4.2 percent decline. On a fiscal year-to-date basis, total revenue collections rose 5.2 percent in August, above the annual forecast of an 8.0 percent decline. You can view the full revenue report online here.
Henrico Schools Moves to Weekly COVID-19 Case Update and At-Home COVID Testing
Starting next Monday, Henrico County Public Schools will post a weekly update of school-related COVID-19 cases. This is a change from the school system’s initial daily reporting structure. Starting Monday, you can view weekly COVID case updates online here. Emails from principals notifying families of COVID-19 cases in their schools also will move to a weekly schedule.
HCPS has partnered with the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) for contract tracing, and there are now 17 contract tracers serving HCPS, in addition to two full-time HCPS employees, which should improve the efficiency of contact tracing.
HCPS has also announced that they will soon receive at-home COVID-19 tests to distribute to students who either exhibit symptoms or who were in close contact with someone infected with COVID-19. The at-home tests are a newly introduced component of the state-funded COVID-19 testing program for K-12 schools called Virginia School Screening Testing for Assurance. The Virginia Department of Health is contracting with eMed to provide the tests, which are authorized by the FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization.
You can see more information on Henrico County’s return to school policies online here, and the latest news from the school system online here. I want to thank our entire school community, including students, parents, teachers, administrators, and support staff, for their flexibility and resiliency as we navigate through our post-COVID return to school. If you have any questions or concerns about Henrico schools, please feel free to reach out to my office at delrwillett@house.virginia.gov.
Emancipation & Freedom Monument Unveiled at Brown's Island
This Wednesday the Virginia Dr. Martin Luther Kind Jr. Memorial Commission unveiled a new Emancipation and Freedom Monument on Brown’s Island at the end of the Fifth Street pedestrian bridge.
The monument includes two 12-foot bronze figures: one of a newly freed man, his chains broken from his wrists; the other of a woman holding an infant in one arm and her other hand holding a page that reads “January 1” and the Roman numerals for 1863 - the date that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation took effect, freeing slaves in the South.
The Commission was created in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation in 2012 by the General Assembly, which provided $500,000 to start the project. Oregon-based artist Thomas Jay Warren was selected as the featured artist, and the Commission considered public comment to select the names of African American Virginians who would be featured on the monument’s base.
The base displays the names of five African American Virginians who fought against slavery — Gabriel, Nat Turner, Dred Scott, William Harvey Carney, and Mary Jane Richards Bowser — and five who fought for equality: the Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker, John Mercer Langston, Lucy Simms, John Mitchell Jr., and Rosa Dixon Bowser.
You can learn more about the work of the Commission online here, and read more about the unveiling in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Emancipation & Freedom Monument, Photograph by Shaban Athuman, Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Governor Northam Proclaims September as Hispanic Heritage Appreciation Month
Last week Governor Northam issued a proclamation declaring September 15th - October 15th Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month in honor and recognition of the countless contributions that Hispanic and Latino Americans have made to Virginia.
Virginia is home to the 16th largest Hispanic and Latino population in the country, comprised of over 800,000 Virginians of Hispanic or Latino descent. This community has made tremendous contributions to Virginia through leadership in the business community, and government, service in the military, helping to feed our community through agriculture, inspiring children as educators, helping to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as healthcare professionals, advancing society through science and technology, and so much more.
You can see the full text of the Governor’s proclamation online here in English, or online here in Spanish. Virginians are encouraged to participate in Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month events taking place throughout the Commonwealth. A list of some of these events can be found online here.
