Week 2: Progress
Dear Friend,
It is very satisfying to reflect on the weekly accomplishments of the Democratic majority in the General Assembly. Your efforts have made incredible change possible.
Equal Rights Amendment - Yes, both the House and Senate voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment! It was heartening to be able to remind my male colleagues that they too would be protected from discrimination on the basis of sex under the ERA language. When the respective bodies pass the ERA resolution from the other body, Virginia will become the 38th state to ratify the amendment. This means that the legal requirement for inclusion in the U.S. Constitution will have been met, but questions do remain about the timing of our action, given that the congressional deadline has passed. We expect legal challenges to the ratification process but a major hurdle has been conquered. Thank you to the organizers and advocates from the ERA movement, the League of Women Voters, the AAUW and many other groups.
Gun Safety - This past week, the Senate passed three common-sense gun safety bills. These bills granted localities authority to regulate firearms, reinstated the one hand gun a month limit, and implemented a more complete universal background check requirement. Although vocal opponents of these measures appeared at town hall gatherings and spoke at committee meetings on Monday, enough lawmakers were elected on a gun safety message to make the change voters wanted. I was incredibly proud to be part of that change. It is worth noting that more than 80 percent of Virginians support these measures.
The local authority bill and one hand gun a month bill passed on party-line votes, but the universal background check proposal passed with bi-partisan support. The background check bill included language excluding certain transfer transactions. Although this language was not ideal, I felt it was important to vote for a vehicle that the Senate could send into conference with a House bill. The exclusion language made the background check bill acceptable to a few Republicans, enabling the bill to pass with 21 Democratic votes and three Republican votes.
It is always important to make progress on transformational issues, even if that progress is not 100 percent of everything you might want. I need to acknowledge the incredible work and advocacy that the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Moms Demand Action, the Brady Group, Everytown, and many others brought to the gun-safety discussion. Next week, we will tackle red flag laws. I have co-patroned bills addressing this issue and am working to ensure that Virginia’s version tracks with the bill passed in Florida. We are bracing for a robust rally by pro-gun activists on Monday, but lawmakers are determined to conduct our business as usual. For the first time in history, firearms will be banned from the Capitol, the General Assembly offices, and the Capitol grounds.
Hate Crimes - My Hate Crimes Bill (SB 179) expands the categories of individuals covered under the Virginia statute to correspond with Federal law. The new protected categories include gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, and disability. The bill defines “disability” to mean a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of a person’s major life activities.” Additionally, I removed mandatory minimum language that was embedded in the bill, at the request of Justice Forward and other groups. This week the Judiciary Committee voted to support my bill. I am hopeful that the Finance Committee does not claim that a fiscal impact should delay a Senate vote on (SB 179).
Disability Mortality Review - I submitted legislation to give the Disability Mortality Review Commission authority to request records regarding an individual’s death from any licensed DD provider in the Commonwealth. This authority is needed to fully comply with the DOJ Olmstead decision and to ensure that quality care is being provided in every setting, from hospitals to small community-based settings. Fortunately, the bill passed unanimously out of the Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee, I serve as chair of the committee. Hopefully, the bill will pass the full Senate next week.
Polystyrene and Plastic Bags - I have been working closely with the League of Conservation Voters, Senator Ebbin and other environmental groups to craft an omnibus bill that will reduce the use of plastic bags and possibly paper bags. Our strategy, at the moment, is to require retailers to apply a small per bag tax to encourage use of re-useable bags. A small portion of the tax revenue would be split among the retailers and the locality, with the rest designated to a state environmental fund that supports the Chesapeake Bay clean-up and other green efforts. As you might expect, many stakeholders are involved in this conversation, including, grocery store associations, the Virginia Retailers Association, and manufacturing groups.
Vulnerable Children - My bill (SB 178) expands the pool of individuals who are eligible to provide a loving home to children at risk of being placed in foster care. SB 178 adds a new category of caregivers, called “Fictive Kin.” A Fictive Kin is an individual, not related to a child by blood or adoption, but who has an established relationship with the child or his or her family. This effort will also make Fictive Kin families eligible to receive financial support. The bill passed out of committee unanimously and will likely be passed by the full Senate in the coming week.
It is a privilege to represent you in the General Assembly, and it is particularly rewarding to see more progressive values guide the legislative process. I look forward to providing another uplifting report, next week.
Sincerely,
Senator Barbara Favola
31st District - Representing Parts of Arlington, Fairfax & Loudoun