The 2020 Special Session, focused on resolving budget issues stemming from Covid and addressing police and criminal justice reform, has ended just in time for the holidays. But as in the movie Groundhog Day, now we prepare to do it all over again. Virginia’s 2021 legislative session opens on Jan 13 and will prove no less challenging than the special session. At this moment, details are still fluid, but here is what we know.
General Assembly
Find out more about what we are tracking during Virginia’s annual legislative session.
Webinar: Keeping Land in the Family
Learn more about the new Heirs’ Property Act in Virginia and what it means for families who share ownership of land or have inherited land without a will.
Support Conservation Funding and Programs
Thank legislators for supporting VLCF funding and remind them of the importance of all of our state conservation programs in 2021.
General Assembly Special Session Update
Beginning on Aug 18, the Virginia General Assembly entered a special session to focus on budget impacts related to the pandemic and calls for criminal justice and policing reforms as local and national unrest continued following the death of George Floyd. At the time of this writing, session is ongoing and many questions remain on the shape of the final budget and some of the legislative initiatives. Legislators intend to wrap up their work before the end of September.
Take Action: Ask Your Delegate to Oppose SB 5106
PEC is asking that you contact your Delegate and request that they oppose Senate Bill 5106. This legislation would extend the sunset date for various local land use approvals (plats, rezonings, special use permits and exceptions, etc.) that were valid as of July 1, 2020 for another 2 years (until at least July 1, 2022).
Special Call to Action for a Special Session
Covid-19 has driven home the vital connection between environmental protection and public health. Virginia’s budget should prioritize parks, trails and open spaces, restore water quality and strengthen our local food systems.
So Many Bills, So Little Time
It is March, a time when most people eagerly await the end of winter and embrace the first signs of spring. For me, the spring also marks the end of long days and nights spent walking the halls and occupying committee rooms in Richmond. The 2020 Virginia General Assembly session concluded on March 12, and by the time you read this, we will all be awaiting Governor Northam’s response to the legislation and budget passed by both houses.
Crossover Update
Wednesday marked the halfway point of Virginia’s 2020 General Assembly Session, a date known as ‘crossover.’ The House and Senate have each finished voting on the bills their members put forward, and now move on to consider legislation passed by the other body. While much legislating is left to be done, this is always a good time to provide an update about where various pieces of legislation stand.
2020 General Assembly Session
With a new democratic majority in both the House and the Senate, there are new legislative priorities and an immense number of bills have been filed. Given this, we are working hard to track all of the relevant bills, as well as keep our issues in the minds of the legislators.
What will tomorrow bring?
This year’s Virginia General Assembly promises to be an interesting one, as the November 2019 elections resulted in a change in leadership in both the House and the Senate. A new Speaker of the House (Filler-Corn), Senate Majority Leader (Saslaw) and large shifts in committee memberships of both bodies are among the changes. With Governor Northam still in office, the Democrats have consolidated control of state government for the first time in more than two decades. And that means we will see many of the priorities of the party at the forefront of the legislative agenda.