2022 General Assembly session begins this week!

By: Cindy Cunningham
On: January 9, 2022

2022 General Assembly Session begins this Wednesday!

Virginia Progressive Legislative Alert Newsletter

Sunday, January 9, 2022

After two transformative years with a Democratic trifecta, passing a generation’s worth of important progressive reforms, the House of Delegates will swear in a narrow GOP majority on Wednesday January 12th, and a GOP Governor and Lieutenant Governor will be inaugurated a few days later on January 15th. It will be up to a two-vote Democratic majority in the Senate to be a brick wall against conservative bills and losing the progress we’ve made. Will the Senate Democratic Caucus hold together against proposed repeals of our progressive legislation? Stay tuned.

Legislative Update

GOP attempts to move Virginia backwards

While there are far fewer bills filed so far than at the same time in 2020, when Democrats had just taken the majority, many GOP bills are attempts to repeal 2020 and 2021 bills.

HB24 (Walker, HD-23) to repeal the no-Photo ID requirement to vote.
HB35 (Campbell, HD-24) to repeal no-excuse absentee voting, and HB34 to repeal absentee ballot drop-boxes.
HB39 (P. Scott, HD-88) to cut absentee in-person voting availability to 14 days before election (from 45 days currently).
HB14 (Anderson, HD-83) to repeal the one handgun a month purchase limit.
HB23 (Walker, HD-23) to repeal the ban on dangerous weapons in places of religious worship.
SB74 (Chase, SD-11) and HB26 (Anderson, HD-83) to repeal allowing localities to ban firearms in local public buildings/facilities.
SB75 (Chase, SD-11) to repeal ban on firearms at Capitol.
HB79 (Campbell, HD-24) to repeal bill that reduced police stops by making minor traffic infractions and “smell of marijuana” secondary offenses.
HB89 (Walker, HD-23) to repeal the school disorderly conduct bill that interrupted the school-to-prison pipeline.
HB107 (McGuire, HD-56) sets the felony larceny threshold back down to $500 (currently $1,000).
HB109 (McGuire, HD-56) repeals the ban on no-knock warrants, aka Breonna’s Law.
HB110 (McGuire, HD-56) removes the ability of localities to establish civilian police oversight boards.
HB118 (Freitas, HD-30) gutting many of the important provisions of the Virginia Clean Economy Act

Other impending battles

Governor-elect Youngkin has slowly made most of his Cabinet nominations, and the General Assembly will vote early in the session on whether to approve the nominations.
- This includes a couple of really awful, divisive Trump-appointees, most notably, Trump’s former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator and former coal industry lobbyist, Andrew Wheeler; as well as an assistant Secretary in Trump’s Department of Labor, Bryan Slater, as Secretary of Labor.
Last session, the General Assembly legalized the possession of small amounts of personal use marijuana; however, they left the creation of retail markets and the regulatory framework to be decided this session.
- SB107 (Norment, SD-3) removes the provisions to use 30% of the tax revenue dedicated to supporting communities historically affected by over-policing drugs with scholarships, grants, job training, cannabis business loans, etc..
- HB43 (Ware, HD65) would make retail marijuana sales in a locality opt-in by voter referendum only.
- HB72 (Ware, HD-65) prevents marijuana growers from selling seeds or plants directly to consumers.
Last session, the General Assembly voted to approve two Constitutional Amendments: one affirming the fundamental right to vote (and automatically restoring that right when a felony sentence has been completed); the other affirms the fundamental right to marry, regardless of the sex or gender of the parties.
- These MUST be passed again, in the exact same language, this session to appear as a referendum to voters on the Nov. 2022 general election ballot.
- HJ9 (Cherry-HD66) is the second reference to the right to vote amendment, sponsored by a Republican Delegate, which bodes well for this passing a second time, at least in the House.
- SJ5 (Ebbin, SD-30) is the second reference to the marriage equality amendment.

And COVID is still affecting the General Assembly

Back in person: Despite record numbers of cases of the new omicron strain daily, the General Assembly will be meeting in person. In-person committee testimony resumes, with optional virtual testifying.
News of the absurd: Republican legislator Amanda Chase (SD-11) is STILL focused on making hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin available for COVID-19 treatment, despite the FDA warning against their use, citing studies showing it to be ineffective and potentially harmful.
Freedom: While everyone else is worried about their loved ones dying of COVID, society’s long-term health costs of this pandemic, and how to get back to normal, Delegate Walker (HD-23) is focused on declaring a fundamental right to be free from medical mandates. (Good to know he’ll oppose mandatory ultrasounds before abortion at least.)

If any of the above bills are important to you, now is the time to contact your legislators and tell them how this bill affects you and your family. Contact information for Delegates and Senators can be found HERE; if you aren’t sure who represents you, put your address in HERE to find out.

Virginia Progressive Legislative Alert Network

PO Box 2612, Merrifield
Virginia 22116-2612 United States