Week 5 Session Update 2021: The Senate Passes a Budget

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Dear Friend,

Today we celebrate love and friendship: I wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day. We are nearing the end of session as the budget comes together and bills approach their final passage.

I am proud to say that the Senate passed a budget with useful amendments to the Governor’s proposals. The Senate budget includes dollars for school systems to help with their plans to re-open, more assistance to local health departments for the disbursement of vaccines, help to small businesses, and much needed funding for preschool openings. Teachers will receive the previously promised pay increases.

The surprise in this year’s Senate budget was a 20 percent increase in the Auxiliary Grant Program (this program provides supplemental income to recipients of Supplemental Security Income and certain other aged, blind, or disabled individuals residing in assisted living facilities, adult foster care homes, or in supportive housing approved by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services). This is a much needed supplement and will have a direct and positive impact on the quality of care. The Senate budget also expands the number of Medicaid waiver slots.

A more complete summary of the areas funded in the Senate document is contained below:

Economy

• Providing income tax forgiveness for businesses with forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loans

• Introducing tax exemptions for businesses purchasing personal protective equipment

• Creating a low-cost credit line for COVID-impacted businesses

• Including a record-breaking investment for the Housing Trust Fund

• Supporting critical public transit services and expanding intercity passenger rail

• Raising salaries for state and state-supported local employees, Capitol Police, constitutional officers, and others

Education

• Increasing proposed pay increase for teachers from 2% to 3%

• Maintaining and increasing funding for school positions such as counselors, school nurses, social workers, and psychologists

• Requiring in-person learning options to students during the 2021-2022 school year

• Creating the “Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back” (G3) Program to encourage associates' degree programs in high-demand fields

• Funding state colleges and universities’ COVID-19 testing, financial aid, and other items

• Scholarship availability for Virginia’s Historically Black Colleges, Norfolk State University and Virginia State University

Health

• Providing funding for mass vaccination administration efforts

• Increasing local health department funding for 75 new positions, including epidemiologists and communicable disease nurses

• Purchasing PPE and other equipment necessary to support state health workers and the health equity workgroup

• Fully funding state psychiatric hospitals impacted by increases in population

Justice

• Implementing initial start-up costs of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority

• Expanding the Court of Appeals, providing for six additional judgeships and support staff

• Creating a new grant program to provide paid internships at Virginia’s HBCUs to expand the catalogue of historical properties to include underrepresented African American and indigenous communities

Child Placing Agencies and the Conscience Clause - Delegate Levine sponsored a bill, HB1932, to remove the protection granted to state funded child placement agencies that discriminate based on “religious or moral convictions” that was enacted in 2012. This protection needs to be completely removed from Virginia’s code and the committee I chair, Rehabilitation and Social Services, made headway in accomplishing that goal. Essentially, the bill that was voted out of committee removed all state funded grants and contracts by July 1, 2022. Private entities with a certain set of values can provide services to like-minded individuals, but I do not believe that Virginia should sanction discrimination through state-funded programs.

Covid-19 Vaccines - Many of you continue to reach out expressing concern about vaccine availability and distribution. I have been in contact with Governor Northam’s office and was pleased that the Governor joined Mayor Bowser of D.C. and Governor Hogan of Maryland this week in sending a joint letter to the Biden Administration requesting additional federal support in allocating and administering Covid-19 vaccines to essential federal employees, many of whom live and work in Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun. Virginia’s Department of Health has not yet set a date for the start of Phase 1c, the group that includes the general public, but I will continue to provide updates and work to facilitate fast and effective distribution of the vaccine. For up to date information on vaccine eligibility and distribution, please go to https://www.virginia.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/.

Expanding Virginia’s Court of Appeals - Virginia is currently the only state in the nation that does not allow criminal and civil litigants an automatic right of appeal. Only 11 judges sit on the Virginia Court of Appeals to hear appeals, and as a result, very few cases in Virginia receive appeal hearings. Senator Edwards’ SB1261 will expand the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals of Virginia to all civil cases and will give criminal defendants a right to petition for an appeal. The bill also increases the number of judges sitting on the Court of Appeals to 17. These changes will bring Virginia in line with the rest of the nation. I voted for SB1261, and the bill passed the Senate on a party-line vote.

It is an honor and privilege to represent you in Richmond and to fight for our Democratic values. Thank you for your ongoing support and please stay safe.

Sincerely,