Pressed by the News-Press after providing a general overview of this year’s Richmond legislative session, State Del. Marcus Simon conceded that the state government is not prepared yet to cope with the kind of crises that could arise from the Trump administration’s assaults on the federal workforce here and its programs.

Simon and F.C.-based State Sen. Saddam Salim spoke to the monthly luncheon of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Tuesday and were light on new initiatives coming to deal with the potential “perfect storm” for erasing revenues for Virginia jurisdictions and adding to new levels of need for basic services, like mortgage default mitigation and food banks.

Simon did announce that the next meeting of the newly-formed emergency committee of state legislators to address these issues will be held on Tuesday, April 8, at the new Virginia Tech innovation center in Alexandria. Simon is one of a handful of legislators assigned to that special committee that will be convening under the leadership of Fairfax Delegate David Bulova.

Currently, as Simon and Salim reported at the luncheon, the state is currently looking at a $4.5 billion surplus that so far lawmakers plan to use for an across the board $200 rebate ($400 for couples) to all taxpayers in Virginia that would be in the mail in advance of this fall’s elections in October. This would be accompanied by an increase in the standard deduction for taxpayers.

But that will likely all be up in the air, Simon conceded Tuesday. Virginia’s Governor Glenn Youngkin has until next Tuesday to approve, veto  or modify bills that passed the legislature this session and that will be followed by a special legislative session the following week when lawmakers will have a chance to override the governor’s vetoes or changes. Simon has scheduled for the first time ever a public gathering late next week, on Friday, March 31, in advance of the reconvening session to assess the governor’s actions.

 All major offices in the state will be on the ballot this November, as Virginia is one of only two states (New Jersey being the other) that has such significant elections in this year. For Virginia, the Democrats are fighting to retain their slight majorities in both the House of Delegates (51-49) and State Senate (21-19), as well as to win back the governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general offices.

But, as Simon said Tuesday, “everything now is in a state of flux.”

Simon will also appear at a campaign kickoff event Roanoke-based delegate candidate Lily Franklin at noon this Saturday in Annandale, and Sunday the Fairfax County Democrats have scheduled a “Pick Your Pony” straw poll event that will feature their gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger at the Mustang Sally in Chantilly. 

At stake in all this will be how to redress the impact of Trump federal employee firings in one of the most federal employee heavy districts of the nation. There are 180,000 federal workers inj this area whose jobs are at risk, and that includes up to 60,000 who work at the Pentagon that may lose their jobs, according to a report in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper, about a third of whom already have taken an early retirement offer from Trump.

“Our job will be to try to convince Republicans here, working in conjunction with business owners and business associations like the Chambers of Commerce, not to go along with Trump on this. We have to make sure they all get the message: Don’t do this with Virginia,” Simon emphasized.

Meanwhile, resources available to federal employees who’ve been laid off so far, or fear they will be, are being publicized by local elected officials, like Del. Alfonso Lopez, who is circulating a list of assistance options, including for unemployment insurance, to his constituents. 

“Sadly, the Trump Administration’s actions have only gotten more erratic and damaging. Though we are feeling it most acutely in our community, their callus behavior is so far reaching that soon there won’t be a community it doesn’t touch. As I have said before and will say again, my team and I are here for you and will help in whatever way we can,” Lopez wrote this week. “In that spirit, I want to provide you with an updated list of resources for federal employees that covers a large swath of what you or your loved ones who are federal employees may need during this difficult time.”