Weekly Column: Fracking Ban, No Excuse Voting, and Pedestrian Safety Bills Move Forward

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of January 17, 2020.

               First, Monday brought a large firearms rights protest to Capitol Square.  Over 20,000 Virginians protested on and off Capitol Grounds.  Several arrests were made before the protest due to anarchists discussing shooting during the protests.  Most counter protestors stayed away to avoid creating conflict. 

               I met with about 30 firearms rights supporters including a handful of my constituents in my office.  We discussed several bills including our “red flag” bill which was the largest focus.  While we agreed to disagree about many matters, we had a very civil discussion and I appreciated their input.

Weekly Column: Virginia Legislature Moved Quickly on Equal Rights and Gun Violence Prevention

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of January 17, 2020.

Virginia Legislature Moved Quickly on Equal Rights and Gun Violence Prevention

The second week of the General Assembly Session put us at the center of American history.  We moved several long-delayed, legislative priorities.

               On Wednesday, both the Senate and the House passed resolutions to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to make Virginia the 38^th and final state to ratify the Constitutional amendment.  The Senate has passed the resolution at least six times in past years, but the House of Delegates has never approved it.  Ratification will hopefully bring equal rights to 160 million women in America and attention will now shift to the U. S. Congress. Congress can abolish or extend the 1982 ratification deadline they previously set.  I was proud to carry this legislation every year since 2012 and even during years when few people were paying attention.  Virginia is finally on the right side of history for the first time in about 150 years. 

          On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which I serve, had its first meeting and we immediately addressed firearm violence prevention.  We considered, modified and passed four bills, three of which the full Senate passed later in the week and one of which was continued for final vote this Tuesday. 

Weekly Column: First Week Brings New Majority and New Priorities

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of January 10, 2020.

On Wednesday, January 8, I was sworn in for my second term as the State Senator for the 36^th District for the next four years.  This this session will be my eleventh Regular Session and it is proving to be an exciting time to be in the General Assembly of Virginia.

This marks the first time that the Democratic Caucuses have held a majority of seats along with a Democratic Governor since I was in law school twenty-six years ago.  We are poised to make significant policy changes in Virginia that will provide long-term benefits to the Commonwealth.

The Senate Democratic Caucus chose me to serve under the Majority Leader and Caucus Chairman as the Vice Chairman of the Caucus.  I am excited and honored to serve in this new role - especially as we assume the majority.