Weekly Column: Last Week On Tap: House Kills Five Bills

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 March 7, 2022.

Last Week On Tap: House Kills Five Bills

               Last week, Week 7 of the 2023 Regular General Assembly Session, brought major action on many bills.  This coming week, no committees can meet after Monday and the session is scheduled to end on Saturday, March 12.

               The House of Delegates killed seven of my 25 remaining bills.  First, SB246 required law enforcement officers to advise a driver why they were stopped before asking for their driver’s license and vehicle registration. I introduced this bill after a constituent from Kingstowne ended up in the local news after she was stopped and charged with driving while intoxicated and after she asked why she was stopped.  She blew a 0.00% breath alcohol concentration and her case dismissed, but the entire situation was avoidable.  This policy is consistent with Virginia law enforcement accreditation standards, Virginia State Police and Fairfax County Police policies, but the Virginia Sheriffs Association opposed it and a House committee voted the bill down on a party-line vote. 

               The same constituent was also encouraged to file a police complaint,  which she did, but when her case became public the law enforcement agency claimed she had not filed anything.  A second bill required law enforcement agencies to provide a written confirmation all complaints, a practice also consistent with accreditation.  The state’s Sheriffs opposed this bill too and a House committee defeated it on a party-line vote.

               Next, we passed Senator Adam Ebbin’s legislation last session that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana by adults.  This session, I introduced legislation allowing anyone currently incarcerated for marijuana distribution to seek a resentencing proceeding and all people whose sentences were enhanced due to a prior marijuana-related conviction to see a review of their sentence by the Parole Board.  A House committee killed the bill on a party-line vote.

               Fourth, the COVID-19 Pandemic spotlighted the sacrifice and vulnerability of our front-line healthcare, grocery store and other workers who kept working and because of the nature of their jobs, could not work from home.  I carried SB352 with Delegate Candi King which required most healthcare and grocery store employers to provide 30 hours of sick leave per year to these heroes who also lost many colleagues.  Front-line workers should not have to choose between going to work sick where they can spread illness and their paycheck.  It died in committee on a party-line vote.

               In 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that allows police officers to lie to suspects in an effort to obtain a confession.  However, multiple studies show that juveniles do not have the sophistication of adults, are more susceptible deception, are more deferential to authority than adults which can result in false confessions and wrongful convictions.  I carried legislation similar to a bill introduced by Delegate Sally Hudson to heighten the government’s burden in such cases, but it died on a party-line vote in a House committee.

               Finally, I also carried legislation to clean up and clarify some inconsistencies in our rules relating to the sealing of convictions and expungement of acquittals in connection with the landmark legislation I passed with Delegate Charniele Herring last year.  A House committee rejected it on a party-line vote with little discussion.

               Nearly all of my other bills are awaiting the Governor’s signature. A few  will go into a conference committee for negotiation and final resolution.  The House and Senate budget negotiators have started meeting, but when the available revenues are $3 billion apart, it is virtually impossible to negotiate.  We may need a special session to resolve the differences.

               Over 250 constituents have completed my constituent survey.  Thus far, 91% support extending the Yellow Line to Woodbridge, 87% would like to see Fairfax County match our state funds to provide teachers a 5% pay raise, 76% support underground utilities on U.S. 1, and funding priorities should be secondary education, mental health care and transportation, while the top issue is climate change.  Please provide your opinions on the Commanders football stadium, reproductive choice, firearm violence prevention and marijuana legalization.  You can complete your version at www.scottsurovell.org/survey.