Special Session II Ends with Historic Achievements

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Dear Friend,

On Monday, August 2, the General Assembly convened for a Special Session to allocate Virginia’s $4.3 billion share of the American Rescue Plan dollars and to elect judges to a now expanded Virginia Court of Appeals. I am proud to say that we accomplished both of these goals, guided by the values of fairness, compassion, creating a shared prosperity, and ensuring the health and well-being of every Virginian. In short, we are building back better.

The final budget passed with two Republicans joining the Democratic majority in the Senate; but stronger bi-partisan support was garnered in the House for passage of the budget. I expect this phenomena existed because so many Virginians and small businesses will benefit from the targeted investments and safety-net supports provided in the budget. Consequently, lawmakers on the ballot this November would have a hard time defending a “No” vote on the budget bill.

The most frequent argument Republicans used in voting against the budget was the fact that $1 billion was allocated for emergency expenditures to be determined by the Governor. I believe, along with many other leaders, that this allocation was necessary given the fast growing and horrific impact of the Delta variant. Once again, hospital systems in Virginia are planning and managing for excessive demands on ventilators, PPE, and other health resources. Please do whatever you can to help those who are not yet vaccinated get vaccinated.

Senators were asked to submit their funding priorities to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee prior to the start of the Special Session. I was pleased that my submitted priorities were included in the budget adopted by the General Assembly and Governor Northam has indicated that he will sign this budget without amendments.

Highlights of the Budget are Noted Below: 

Broadband - In this internet age, access to high-speed broadband narrows the opportunity gap. I am proud to note that all of Virginia’s leaders recognized the need to reach every household and business in Virginia with broadband; and to make access to the internet affordable. The budget we passed accomplishes this two-pronged goal with approximately $800 million dedicated to broadband expansion and affordability. 

Clean Air in Our Schools - $250 million for HVAC renovation and replacement in K-12 schools is in the budget. This was my top priority. Improving indoor air quality and mitigating the spread of Covid-19 in school buildings is critical to re-opening the economy and keeping our children safe. I want to thank the many environmental groups, especially the Sierra Club and the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council for assisting me in developing this proposal and for their advocacy on this issue.

Expansion of Child Care - Over $800 million was allocated to grow quality child care opportunities. Affordable, accessible child care is vital to our economy and the healthy development of our children. Covid-19 has caused a decrease in available child care, while highlighting its importance for families across the Commonwealth.

Upgrading Water Pollution Control Plants - $75 million for sewer collection repairs and $125 million for combined sewer overflow control projects. These projects will prevent waste water run-off into our rivers and will allow us to meet a major goal of Virginia’s Clean Chesapeake Bay Plan.

Virginia’s Unemployment Commission - The General Assembly allocated money to upgrade data bases, improve technical supports and add new staff to the functions of the Unemployment Commission. Virginia ranks 50th in terms of federal dollars passed back to Virginia’s unemployment commission when compared to dollars paid into the system from Virginia’s employers and employees.

Supporting Small Businesses - The budget we passed protects businesses across the Commonwealth from increased taxes needed to replenish the unemployment fund. 

Re-opening of in-person DMV Services - Many Virginians need urgent in-person services from DMV. The appointment process is not working for everyone or for every request. Therefore, lawmakers asked DMV to develop a plan (within 30 days) for in-person operations across the Commonwealth that ensures a safe environment for employees and customers. The budget language also requires DMV to implement this plan within 30 days after the plan is submitted to the General Assembly. 

Other Items - The budget also provides a raise for state supported law enforcement and first responders; additionally, it provides funding for the expansion of behavioral health care, including strong community-based services.

Court of Appeals: Eight judges were elected to the Virginia Court of Appeals during the Special Session. Two were elected to fill open seats on the bench and six were elected in order to meet the anticipated caseload needs Virginia will have as a result of allowing all civil and criminal cases the right of appeal. Virginia was the only state that did not allow this automatic right, and I am pleased our model of justice has been bolstered to meet the standard set by every other state.

Moreover, I was delighted to vote for the slate of judges presented by our Judiciary Committee, and note that our new judges bring the diversity of our Commonwealth to the bench. I want to congratulate Arlington’s own Stuart Raphael, who was previously the solicitor general of Virginia, for his election to serve as a judge on the Court of Appeals.

Masks In Schools: During January’s General Assembly Session, we noted the importance of providing in-person learning for K-12 students in the Commonwealth. Consequently, we passed SB1303, with an amendment directing localities to provide in-person learning while following applicable virus mitigation strategies recommended by the CDC. The amended bill passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support, in fact all Senate and House Republican members voted for it.

As of August 5, the CDC is recommending universal indoor masking of students, staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools. Infectious disease experts tell us that although the Covid-19 vaccine is the best way to prevent the virus, universal masking is a close second: with masking in place, in-school learning is safe and more effective than remote instruction regardless of community rates of infection.

I understand that mask mandates are a controversial topic, but the leaders of public institutions have an obligation to keep the communities they serve safe. With the Delta variant of the virus increasingly spreading - with some very devastating outcomes for children (many of whom remain ineligible for the vaccine) - why would we stop using one of the most effective virus mitigation strategies we have? At this time, the only “safety option” for young children and the school communities, overall, is wearing a mask. I encourage school systems to follow the CDC guidelines.

Thank you for your on-going support and feedback.

I look forward to connecting with you in person sometime soon. We are in this together and we will get through this together.

Sincerely,