Virginia Legislature Begins Work

Virginia Legislature Begins Work

By Senator Scott A. Surovell

 The first week of the 2025 regular session of the General Assembly which began on January 7 was one of the more bizarre starts I have ever experienced.

            While Fairfax County got around eight inches of snow, Richmond had three inches, but the snow managed to take down the entire public water system for six days.  Two backup systems failed along with a switch and several pumps.  This forced General Assembly leaders to gavel in on the first day of the session and then recess until January 13.

            While the lack of water meant a slow start, we have plenty to do.  I am carrying approximately 25 bills and about 30 budget amendments, and have responsibilities as Senate Majority Leader, Chairman of the Courts of Justice Committee, the General Government Subcommittee of the Finance and Appropriations Committee and the Cannabis Subcommittee of the Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee.

            For now, I’ll single out several of my bills that have a direct impact on our area.  First, we  continue to see many collisions on the south George Washington Memorial Parkway (“the Parkway”) at Belle Haven Road and Belleview Boulevard. I have received numerous complaints about excessive speeds and a lack of enforcement by the United States Park Police, especially in the wake of the Bijan Ghaisar shooting.  I have introduced a bill to authorize the Virginia State Police and Fairfax County Police Department to conduct traffic enforcement on the Parkway and to allow those agencies to install photo speed monitoring devices. 

             A second bill I have proposed addresses access to health care facilities.  People entering and leaving a women’s health clinic in our community have experienced significant harassment.  My bill requires anyone picketing a health care facility to stay at least 40 feet away from the main entrance and to refrain from obstructing access or leafletting patients in that zone. This is similar to the state’s rules for polling places. 

Holding the Line on Property Taxes

            In 2016, MGM opened a new casino at National Harbor and announced that one-third of their revenue would come from Virginia customers.  I wrote a column in the Richmond Times Dispatch arguing that Virginia needs to embrace casino gaming or else we would be exporting hundreds of millions of Virginia tax dollars to Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, states that have casinos.  Last year, the National Harbor casino grossed $850 million in tax revenue for Maryland and Prince George’s County. One-third of those dollars came from Virginia.

           I have introduced legislation to authorize the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to put a referendum on the ballot to allow Fairfax County voters to vote on a casino in Tyson’s Corner. Experts estimate that it could generate at least $100 million for Fairfax County, which equals about three percent of Fairfax County’s current real estate taxes or about $300 per year per Fairfax County household. 

           For too long, Fairfax County has relied on real estate taxes for revenue and since at least 1970, the county has attempted to diversity its tax base by attracting more commercial office space, but commercial space valuations are cratering due to remote work.  This is in part why Fairfax County now has the highest real estate tax rate in all of Virginia (except for Falls Church).  This project would take pressure off your real estate taxes.

            A casino would be only five percent of the entire floor space because the bill also requires the project to include a 1.5-million-square-foot entertainment complex and convention center.  Fairfax County is larger than eight states and does not have a place to host 1,000+ person conventions, events that can also generate significant revenue.

The project will create 2,000 union construction jobs and 5,000 permanent union casino jobs, opening doors for non-college-educated and other workers to both live and work in Fairfax County. 

            Every year since I was elected in 2009, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has asked for authority to diversify their revenue sources.   Two years ago, the General Assembly gave the county the same taxing authority as cities.  This bill is one more step to help keep your taxes down. 

            Please email me at scott@scottsurovell.org if you have any feedback.  It is an honor to serve as your state senator.  

Winter Storm Blair

Last night Winter Storm Blair arrived in our region.  It will stay with us throughout the day, additional snowfall is expected Monday night, and cleanup efforts will continue for days after.  As much as a foot or more of snow is projected in some areas, and with temperatures climbing into the mid-30s during the day, there will likely be very icy conditions for a couple days.

A fresh snowstorm is expected to arrive this coming weekend, and while it is expected to be less severe, it will make cleanup and recovery more challenging.  I'm sharing in this post a number of resources you can use to keep informed and stay safe for as long as these conditions last.

Fairfax County Public Schools

Fairfax County Public Schools are closed today, along with all extracurricular and recreational activities.  For more information on when they will be open you can visit their website for up-to-date information.

Click here for Fairfax Schools current alerts

Virginia Department of Transportation

VDOT has been hard at work since before the storm arrived to prepare our roads and highways.  However, VDOT is asking that Virginians do not travel today unless absolutely necessary, as dangerous driving conditions exist and are difficult to predict.  While the capacity of our roads is limited, it is important that first responders be able to traverse them, as well as crews from VDOT and our utilities.

The Northern Virginia District has over 17,000 residential streets that VDOT needs to treat, so it may be some time before your neighborhood is cleared.  To monitor road conditions you can visit 511.vdot.virginia.gov, download the VDOT mobile app, or call 511 from any phone in Virginia.  VDOT also offers a real time VDOT Plows map where you can track their progress.

Public Transit

Metrobus will be offering limited service, with 42 of 193 bus routes operational.  You can find specific information about available bus service at WMATA's Severe Snow Routes page.  Metrorail is expected to continue operating without interruption, excepting a planned closure of the Archives rail station due to the funeral of President Jimmy Carter from January 6-9th.  For up-to-date information as the storm progresses and cleanup continues visit MetroPulse.

Utility Service

The initial snowfall is just the beginning of the challenge this storm will present to our utilities. As snow melts, refreezes, and melts and refreezes again, the risk of downed powerlines continues.

If you are a Dominion customer and you lose power, there are three easy ways to report your outage and track your restoration time: 1) Dominion Energy mobile apps, iPhone [apps.apple.com] and Google [play.google.com]; 2) Dominion Energy website; or 3) Call 866-DOM-HELP (866-366-4357).

Customers of Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative can log into NOVEC SmartHub, call (703) 335-0500, or text "#OUT" to 85700.

If you witness a downed pole or power line, please stay a safe distance away and call 866-DOM-HELP.

Gas service is less likely to be impacted by the storm, but home heating is critical until the storm abates.  Anyone experiencing service disruption should call 844-WASHGAS, and remember that you should NEVER use an oven or range top to heat your home.  For other tips on preparedness and safety during wintry conditions visit their Winter Preparedness page.

Services for Unsheltered and Homeless

Fairfax County's Hypothermia Prevention Program, operating since 2005, offers extra resources for those struggling with homelessness during dangerous times such as this.  Anyone seeking information about services can call (703) 222-0880 or one of these locations:

Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter (12970 Katherine Hanley Court, Fairfax; 571-522-6800)
Embry Rucker Community Shelter (11975 Bowman Town Drive, Reston; 703-437-1975)
Patrick Henry Family Shelter (3080 Patrick Henry Drive, Falls Church; 703-536-2155)
Next Steps Family Program (Various Locations Countywide; 703-360-1727)  

Constituent Services

The scope of the legislative session is limited by the Constitution of Virginia, so only in the most severe weather conditions will we stop our work.  Though many state offices are closed due to the weather, I am in Richmond at the General Assembly Building for committee meetings as we prepare to begin the Legislative Session on Wednesday.  If you need assistance in contacting any of these needed government services during this ongoing wintry disruption, please do not hesitate to email my office at senatorsurovell@senate.virginia.gov.

Removing Discriminatory Racial Covenants From Your Property

Join me and Delegate Paul Krizek at our upcoming workshop to receive free legal assistance with removing historically discriminatory racial covenants from your property records. In Fairfax County, racial covenants in land deeds were one of the primary tools used to segregate neighborhoods during the 1900s until they were invalidated by the Fair Housing Act in 1968. 

• Hybla Valley Farms: “No part of the said land shall be granted, leased, sold or conveyed to a person or persons of African descent, nor for the use and/or occupancy of a person or persons of African descent; and if any attempt to grant, lease, sell or convey any part of said land to a person or persons of African descent, the deed of said land shall revert to the grantor as though said deed or lease had not been made; and adjoining property owners may eject such person or persons of African descent from said property; or cause them to be so ejected by the proper action of the courts of Virginia."

• Hollindale:  "That said property shall never be used or occupied by, or sold, demised, transferred, conveyed unto or in trust for, leased or rented, or given to negroes or any person or persons of negro blood or extraction, or to any person of the Semitic race, blood or origin, or Jews, Armenians, Hebrews, Persians and Syrians, except that this paragraph shall not be held to exclude partial occupancy of the premises by domestic servants of any owners of the said property."

• Lund Washington Estates: “That not [no] lot That not [no] lot or any interest therein shall be sold, rented, leased or in any manner conveyed to or acquired by any person not of the Caucasian Race and of Christian Faith."or any interest therein shall be sold, rented, leased or in any manner conveyed to or acquired by any person not of the Caucasian Race and of Christian Faith."   

Ongoing efforts are underway to find these covenants and document where they can be found in property deeds in order to educate residents and take steps to remove discriminatory language where it still exists. 

Read more about the history here: New study exposes racial restrictions in historical Fairfax property deeds | FFXnow

In the Mount Vernon Area, land records racial covenants have been identified in over 30 neighborhoods including: 

• Hybla Valley Farms

• Hollindale

• Wellington

• Hollin Hall

• Groveton

• Belle Haven

• Jefferson Manor

• Huntington

Map of neighborhoods with identified racial covenants. Credit: documentingexclusion.org/map

Check if your home likely has a racial covenant using the interactive map at: documentingexclusion.org/map

Join us on at the workshop on October 26 to:

• Learn about the history of racially exclusive covenants in Northern Virginia

• Confirm whether your home and property has racially exclusive covenant language

• Receive help from onsite paralegals to facilitate removal of covenants from your home and property

Event Details:

Removing Racial Covenants Workshop

Saturday, October 26, 2024

1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

WISH Center

7950 Audubon Avenue

Alexandria, VA, 22306

RSVP at scottsurovell.org/Oct26

If you can attend, please sign up at scottsurovell.org/Oct26.

Tropical Storm Debby Impacts Likely Today Through Friday Evening

UPDATED 2:30 PM THURSDAY

• The bulk of the rainfall will be this afternoon through Friday afternoon and should taper off by Friday evening. 

• Tornadoes are possible across much of central and eastern Virginia this afternoon through Friday afternoon.

• Strong wind gusts are possible as convective rain bands move across the state. 

• The combination of saturated grounds and gusty winds could bring down trees.

• Within and around the 34th District, rainfall is forecast to amount to 1.5 to 2 inches, with wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour.

• Minor to moderate river flooding is expected. 

Through Friday evening, Debby is likely to produce the following threats across Virginia: 

• Flash Flooding

• Minor to Moderate River Flooding

• Tornadoes

• Gusty Winds

• Minor to Moderate Tidal Flooding

UPDATED 2:30PM THURSDAY

Weekly Column: General Assembly’s Ongoing Efforts to Protect Air Quality

The following is my column that will appear in this week's Mt. Vernon Gazette in the week of July 20, 2024.  

General Assembly’s Ongoing Efforts to Protect Air Quality

By Senator Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon)

Protecting Virginia’s air quality by reducing greenhouse gases has been a priority of mine since I was first elected to the General Assembly in 2009. This year, both the House and the Senate took steps to address this issue.

However, Governor Youngkin exercised his power to veto some of our actions. Does that mean that Virginia will be stymied in reducing greenhouse gases for the next two years?

No. The General Assembly has considerable power to continue to move policy initiatives. Here’s a description of how that played out in the back-and-forth of the 2024 legislative session.

Letter to Specialty Bars Regarding Open Court of Appeals Seats

On December 11, the incoming chairs of Senate Judiciary Committee and House Courts of Justice Committee sent this letter to Virginia's specialty bar associations regarding the open Court of Appeals seats.

Severe Weather Likely This Afternoon And Evening

This afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch until 9 p.m. in our region. I will update this post with more information as the weather impacts Northern Virginia.

Fixing Old Colchester Road Bridge Over Giles Run

I sent the attached letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation to request grant funding to study improvements to the Old Colchester Road bridge over Giles Run Creek. 

Weekly Column: Examining and Correcting School Funding Formulas

The following is my column that will appear in this week's Mt. Vernon Gazette in the week of July 25, 2023.  

 Examining and Correcting School Funding Formulas

            The underfunding of Virginia’s public schools recently made headlines, when a new study concluded that Virginia’s K-12 education system receives 14 percent less funding that the average system in America even though Virginia has the 10^th highest median family income.  This independent analysis collides with Governor Youngkin’s persistent call for more tax cuts.

            This year, the state legislature should be adopting budget amendments to reflect adjusted revenues, but we have been unable to agree because of the Governor’s insistence on more tax cuts. Cutting taxes means less revenue for state responsibilities like education and mental health.   

             As someone whose 20 years of education were subsidized by Virginia taxpayers from kindergarten through law school, I fully appreciate the importance of robust investments in public education. 

1984 Attorney General Opinion Regarding Bulkhead Repairs

 Over the last year, I have heard confusion regarding the interplay of Virginia's Living Shorelines Law and repairs or replacement of existing shoreline treatment.  

Below is an 1984 Attorney General's Opinion explaining what constitutes repairs and maintenance versus construction of new facilities.

1984 Virginia Attorney Gene... by

My Endorsement For Mount Vernon School Board Representative 2023

In the last four years, Northern Virginia's teachers and students have become a political punching bag for Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares.  The Fairfax County School Board has been under siege with politically-motivated lawsuits and political investigations for the last four years.  As a result, only four incumbents are running for re-election and our Mt. Vernon School Board Member Karen Corbett Sanders is not running for re-election.

Karen has done an amazing job fighting to ensure that students in our part of the county get the attention and share of resources that they deserve.  I am exceptionally proud of her efforts to reform the admissions process at Thomas Jefferson H.S.S.T. which previously rarely admitted students from Carl Sandburg Middle School, Walt Whitman Middle School, Hayfield Secondary School, or Mark Twain Middle School. Before the reforms she led, two middle schools made up 20% of every class.  She led the charge to obtain funds to renovate our schools.   You can read more about her accomplishments in the Commending Resolution I passed this session:

Senate Joint Resolution 409 Commending Karen Corbett Sanders 

I joined with Mt. Vernon District School Board Member Karen Corbett Sanders in endorsing Mateo Dunne to serve as the Democratic endorsed candidate for the Mt. Vernon District seat on the Fairfax County School Board. I join in my endorsement along with Delegate Mark Sickles, Former Delegate and Fairfax County School Board Chair and Mt. Vernon Member Kristen Amundson, Fairfax County Board Chair Jeff McKay, and Former Fairfax County Board Chair Sharon Bulova.

   

www.mateodunne.com/

The Medicaid Unwinding and What It Means for Virginia

The Medicaid Unwinding is one of the biggest challenges that many of our constituents will face in the coming year and community engagement is going to be crucial to make it go smoothly. This isn't just a problem for people who will lose coverage. When people are uninsured, they don't go to the doctor for preventative medicine which can result in long-term worse health outcomes, and higher costs when they eventually have an emergency. Health insurance premiums may rise for everyone to pay for that emergency care.