Every year that I have served, the month after returning from the legislative session has been a blur. After two or three months in Richmond, I come home to a packed schedule of community events and legislative updates. That has never been more true than this year, because on April 6, I made an exciting announcement, which won’t impact my commitment to the 37th Senate District. 

Last week I returned to Richmond for the end of one legislative session and the beginning of another. On Wednesday, April 22nd, the Senate gaveled in for Reconvened Session to take up the governor’s amendments and vetoes of the legislation we had sent to her desk. While many of my bills were signed as they left the General Assembly, several of them were amended. 

One of my bills was even vetoed: SB23, which prohibits prosecutors from seeking to strip defendants of their 4th amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures. There were exceptions in the bill for certain offenders, but majorities in both the House and Senate agreed that as a general rule, once a convicted person has served their sentence, they should have their constitutional rights restored to them. 

There were also amendments to consider on my bills about immigration enforcement in Virginia, as well as the ban on the sale of assault weapons. With the exception of the bill about cooperation agreements between local governments and ICE, I chose to reject the amendments after receiving legal advice stating the amendments could create constitutional issues and lead to the bills being struck down. My hope is that Governor Spanberger will recognize the importance of acting in this moment, sign these bills as they emerged from the legislative process, and that we can work together to refine these policies in the years to come.

The day after Reconvened, we returned to the Senate to begin a special session so we can consider and ultimately pass a budget. The House and Senate each passed a balanced budget during the regular session, but there were significant differences between the two in terms of how revenues are raised and how we are spending them. Not only were the House and Senate unable to resolve our differences, but several of the governor’s decisions on legislation have major budget impacts, including her request to postpone the recreational marijuana market and her veto of legislation to tax and regulate skill games. 

One of my requested budget amendments is for a Visitor’s Center in the Town of Vienna for the Washington and Old Dominion Trail. As an attraction enjoyed by Virginians from all across the Commonwealth, we felt the state should lend a hand in creating this central point for trail users. This amendment would provide $4 million from the state General Fund for this project, which has support in the federal budget as well. I will continue to advocate for the inclusion of this item in the final budget that goes to the governor’s desk.

Virginia’s current budget expires on July 1st. In 2023, the year before my first session, there was no budget agreement until September. At that time, Virginia was halfway through its biennial budget and was able to continue under the existing budget until an agreement was reached. This year, after July 1st there will be no budget at all. Localities and school systems cannot finalize their own budgets until the state does, and that means every day this goes on is a day that police and teachers are not hired, after-school programs are not delivered, and infrastructure projects do not move forward. For those reasons, I hope that the members of the House of Delegates quickly see the wisdom of the Senate’s position so we can come together around a budget that helps all Virginians get ahead.